The Malone University softball team suffered two heartbreaking losses at rivals Walsh University on Thursday afternoon by the final scores of 4-3 and 7-6.

The Pioneers are now playing Lake Superior State University (MI) at Northwood's field on Friday (tomorrow) at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. instead of the original date that was scheduled for Sunday, April 17th at Lake Superior State.

Game One Recap:

The first game was played out like a classic rivalry contest: tough, hard, and physical. Neither team would score a run through the first three and a half innings, until Walsh broke that streak in the bottom of the fourth inning as Kendra Moore hit a sacrifice fly to left field allowing Jenna Head to score, giving Walsh the 1-0 lead.

The next runs by Walsh wouldn't come until the sixth inning as Jenna Head belted out a two-run homer to extend the Cavaliers lead to 3-0.

Malone fought back hard in the top of the seventh inning as Mikayla Fowler drilled a double to left center allowing Shelby Hulin to score the Pioneers' first run of the game. On the next play, Alexa Holztrager singled up the middle to drive home Fowler, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Later in the inning, Abbie Hughes grounded out to second base which allowed Holztrager to score another run to tie the game up at 3-3.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Walsh's Riley Kiesling singled to center field, but then stole second base on the next play, giving the Cavaliers an opportunity to be in scoring position. On the final play of the game, Kiesling took advantage of the throwing error by Malone's catcher and busted her way to home plate to score the final run of the contest.

Hulin continued with the hot hitting as she went 2-for-3 at the plate and notched one run scored.

Emily Isla and Fowler went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Fowler added one run scored and one RBI.

Pitcher Kari Hall tossed her 15^th complete game and registered six strikeouts. She has now compiled 96 total strikeouts this season.  

Game Two Recap:

The second game was a back-and-forth scoring battle between both teams as each team started the first inning with one run to tie the game up at 1-1.

Walsh would gather another run in the top of the third inning to lead 2-1. However, that lead didn't last long as the Pioneers ripped two runs in the bottom of the third. Malone's first run came from Isla's strong double that drifted into the left field, allowing Ashley Beck to score. Malone's third run would came off a fielding error by Walsh's second basemen to take the 3-2 lead.

Walsh answered right back in the top of the fourth inning as they added two more runs to regain the 4-3 lead.

Malone then went on a scoring spree, belting out three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 6-4 lead.

Walsh cut the deficit in half as they scored one run to make it 6-5 in the top of the fifth inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Cavaliers Jenna Head busted a double to left center to drive Kathleen Walsh and Marissa Bondoni to home plate to retake the lead to 7-6.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Malone had an opportunity to tie or win the game with Caley Ritts at second and Emily Beck at third base, but Allison Mercado would strike out swinging to end the game with a heartbreaking 7-6 loss.

Ashley Beck went 2-for-4 at the plate, notched two RBI's and one run scored, while her sister, Emily Beck went 2-for-4 at the plate.