The Malone University softball team split its home opener against visiting Point Park University (PA) on Wednesday night, losing the first game 10-1 and winning the second game 11-10.
Malone will continue to play at home on Friday, March 20 when they host Tiffin University at 3:00 p.m.
Game 1Point Park started the top of the first inning scoring their first run to take a 1-0 lead. Malone would answer right back in the bottom of the first when
Allison Mercado singled to center field to bring home
Emily Beck. Unfortunately, that would be the only score that Malone registered during the game.
Point Park slammed three homeruns in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal the 10-1 victory.
Pitcher
Kari Hall (0-2) took her second loss of the season after tossing the first five innings.
Game 2Point Park continued with the momentum as they tallied five runs in the first four innings. Malone then collected its first run in the bottom of the fourth when
Erika Gerber lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring home
Ashley Beck to make the game 5-1.
The momentum would then switch as Malone piled up 10 runs during the fourth inning. Malone tallied eight hits in the frame with five different batters driving in runs to take the lead 10-5 at the end of the fourth.
The visitors didn't back down as they scored two runs off a double in the top of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 10-7. They then notched two more runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game 10-10.
Malone's
Stephanie Byrne would score off an error in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Pioneers an 11-10 lead. Pitcher
Julie Ward held Point Park scoreless in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win.
Malone's
Alexa Holztrager went 2-for-4 at plate, while
Emily Isla went 3-for-4 and collected two RBIs. In addition,
Julie Ward went 2-for-3, adding two RBIs and a double while Byrne went 2-for-4, scoring three runs and tallying a RBI.
Ward (1-2) pitched all seven innings and had six strikeouts to register her first win of the season.
