The Malone University baseball team earned its first doubleheader sweep of the season with a 13-5 win in game one before a 10-3 win in game two over Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday evening in Tucson.
 
Game One Recap:
The Mustangs jumped on Malone early with two first-inning runs before Pioneer starter Joe Costello induced an inning-ending double play to get out of a jam.
 
In the bottom half of the first, Malone third baseman Jon Crank cut the lead in half with a solo shot. Malone took a 4-2 lead, striking for three runs in the bottom of the second as number nine hitter Austin Pachan delivered a two-RBI single and later came around to score on a run-scoring hit from Richie Mast.
 
In the top of the fifth, down 5-3, the Mustangs plated two runs to tie it up and push Costello out of the ball game. Left-handed sophomore Jordan Yoder came in to retire the next two hitters on swinging strikes, keeping the game tied.
 
Still tied 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers would explode for eight runs to pull away for a 13-5 lead. In the decisive inning, Malone sent 13 batters to the plate and took advantage of three SMSU defensive miscues. Yoder, who finished with six strikeouts in two and two-thirds hitless innings, earned the win after closing the door in the top of the seventh.
 
Eight Pioneers had at least one hit in the game. Keanan Locke extended his hitting streak to seven games with three singles, while Pachan, Derek Carmichael, and Daulton Ritter added two hits apiece. Pachan, Ritter, Crank, and Brenden Wells finished with two RBI's each.
 
Game Two Recap:
Keanan Locke wasted no time in extending his hitting streak to eight games after leading off the top of the first with a double. He would come around to score on an RBI single from Jon Crank. A sacrifice fly off the bat of catcher Matt Davis gave the Pioneers a 2-0 lead after a half inning.
 
Malone would extend its lead to 5-0 with three more runs in the top of the second. Richie Mast drove in two runs with an RBI single and later scored on another RBI single from Crank.
 
Two more runs crossed the plate in the top of the sixth as Mast picked up another RBI single and Crank added a sacrifice fly.
 
Malone would reach double-digit runs for the second straight game as Daulton Ritter knocked in a run before Keanan Locke drove in two more in the top of the seventh.
 
The Mustangs, who scored a lone run in the bottom of the third and added two more in the bottom of the sixth, failed to push across another in the bottom of the seventh as Malone prevailed 10-3.
 
All nine hitters in the Malone lineup recorded a hit in the game. Locke finished with four more hits, a pair of RBI's and a pair of runs scored. Mast added two hits, two runs, and three RBI while Crank delivered two hits and three runs batted in. Austin Pachan and Ryan Froman provided two hits and two runs each. Davis added a single and a double.
 
Pioneer starter Tyler Whitlatch (1-0) picked up the win, tossing six innings and striking out seven.
 
Up Next:
Malone (3-5) will face SMSU for a third time Friday in nine-inning affair at 2:30 pm EST (12:30 pm MST) before a nine-inning contest with Northern St. (SD) at 6:00 pm EST (4:00 pm MST).