The Malone University baseball team took two games from Saginaw Valley State in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) doubleheader Saturday In Michigan. The Pioneers opened up the four-game series with a 1-0 victory before coming back to take game two 12-9. Malone improved to 18-13 on the season and 10-4 in the GLIAC.
 
Game One Recap:
In a classic pitcher's duel, Malone starter Braun Miller (4-0) outshined Saginaw Valley starter Bailey Magsig who delivered a tremendous performance but fell to 1-3 on the season.
 
After six scoreless innings, the Pioneers finally broke through in the top of the seventh for the game's only run. A leadoff walk to Brenden Wells proved to be the difference. After a sacrifice bunt put Wells at second, a pinch hit single from Ryan Froman plated Wells and gave Malone the lead.
 
Braun Miller was exceptional in the victory allowing just two walks and a lone hit in 6.2 innings pitched. Miller was hitless through five until surrendering a single to lead off the sixth. A hit batsman with two outs in the seventh prompted the call for closer Joshua Hurford who ended the game with a swinging strikeout.
 
Miller has started in each of the Pioneers' shutouts this season surrendering just one hit in both victories.
 
Game Two Recap:
The two teams followed up their defensive showdown in game one with a shootout in game two. The Pioneers and Cardinals combined for 21 runs and 22 hits in a sun-scorched GLIAC battle.
 
Malone opened up an early 4-0 lead through two innings. Jon Crank's sacrifice fly in the first preceded run-scoring singles Ryan Froman and Austin Pachan in the second. The Pioneers plated their fifth run in the top of the fourth on an RBI double from Keanan Locke.
 
Saginaw Valley responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and another in the bottom of the fifth. But Malone answered with three bases-loaded walks to give them an 8-3 advantage after the top of the sixth.
 
Still down 8-3 in the their half of the seventh, the Cardinals exploded with four runs in the inning and a fifth in the bottom of the eighth that knotted it up at 8-all.
 
The battle-tested Pioneers broke a tie in their final at-bat for the second time on the afternoon, this time crossing the plate four times in the top of the ninth. A pair of wild pitches and a pair of sacrifice flies from Crank and Froman put Malone ahead for good. Saginaw tacked on a run in the bottom half but Malone held on for the 12-9 victory and the doubleheader sweep.
 
All nine Malone starters scored a run in the win, including Locke, who delivered two doubles and touched home three times. Matt Davis followed up his two-hit effort in game one with two more hits in the nightcap.  Brenden Wells and Austin Pachan had two hits apiece while Pachan, Crank, and Froman all drove in a pair.
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers will face Saginaw Valley State again tomorrow in another doubleheader beginning at 12:00 pm.