The Malone University softball team suffered defeats of 6-3 and 9-1 on Tuesday afternoon during its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Hillsdale College (MI).
After waiting nearly a week to return to action due to poor weather and field conditions, the Pioneers will resume this week's busy stretch of road doubleheaders on Wednesday with a 3:00 p.m. twinbill at Lake Erie College.
Game One RecapAfter the Chargers opened the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the first, Malone pulled ahead in the bottom half of the inning. Centerfielder
Mikayla Fowler and shortstop
Alexa Holztrager got the frame started with back-to-back singles. A sacrifice bunt by third baseman
Ashley Beck advanced the runners before designated player
Abbie Hughes knotted the score with an RBI single through the right side of the infield. Catcher
Emily Isla then stepped to the plate and put MU in front with an RBI groundout.
Hillsdale tied things up with a bases-loaded walk in the third before regaining the lead with a two-out RBI single in the fourth.
The Chargers tacked on three unearned runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-2 advantage. Hillsdale centerfielder Bekah Kastning delivered the big hit, driving a two-out, two-run double to deep center.
Malone got one run back in the bottom of the seventh on a Hillsdale throwing error, but was unable to completely close the gap, falling by the 6-3 final.
Holztrager went 3-for-4 at the dish with one run scored while leftfielder
Emily Beck was 2-for-3 with a single and a double.Â
Pitcher
Kari Hall went the distance in the circle, surrendering six runs (three earned) while striking out four.
Game Two RecapThe Chargers scored once in the bottom of the first and four more times in the second to grab an early 5-0 lead. An RBI single by Isla got Malone on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth but Hillsdale then strung together five straight two-out base hits in the bottom of the inning, extending its lead to 9-1.
Malone was unable to cut into the deficit in the top of the fifth, resulting in the run-rule victory for the Chargers.
Isla went 2-for-2 in game two with a pair of singles.
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