The Malone University baseball team left North Canton on Wednesday with a doubleheader split against Walsh University. The Pioneers won the opener 5-3 before falling in the nightcap 4-1. Malone maintained a two game advantage in the win column over Walsh in the battle for the number two spot in the GLIAC South.
 
Game One Recap:
Three consecutive two-out run-scoring hits helped the Pioneers to an early 3-0 advantage in the top half of the first inning. Jon Crank forced a two-out walk on Walsh starter Matt Iosue (3-3) and later came around to score on an RBI double from Matt Davis. Davis would score on a RBI triple from Brenden Wells and Wells would score on a single from Derek Carmichael.
 
Malone extended its lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. Joe Crank singled to start the inning and came across the plate two batters later when Keanan Locke took an offering deep over the left field fence. Locke's longball marked his sixth of the season.
 
After allowing back-to-back base hits in the bottom of the second, Malone starter Joshua Hurford (2-1) struck out the side to keep the advantage at five runs. Hurford was fantastic on the afternoon, going six innings, surrendering just three hits, striking out five, and allowing an earned run in the third and an unearned run in the sixth.
 
Meanwhile, Walsh reliever Frank Frate gave up just one hit over the final five innings while holding the Pioneers scoreless. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Cavaliers added a run and eventually brought the tying run to the plate, but hard-throwing righty Gary Lawrence came on in relief to close the door and seal the Pioneers' 5-3 victory.
 
Matt Davis collected two hits for the Pioneers.

Noteworthy:
After tying the school record for career bases on balls against Saginaw Valley State on Sunday, Jon Crank's first inning walk gave him 113 in his career, putting him first all-time on Malone's career walks list

Game Two Recap:
Walsh starting pitcher Logan Bowles (5-0), who held Malone to one run on five hits in seven innings a week ago, delivered an even better performance in his second start over the Pioneers. Bowles pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out seven and allowing just one hit and three walks, including a leadoff base on balls to Richie Mast in the top of the ninth.
 
After watching Bowles walk off to a standing ovation, the Pioneers manufactured their only run of the game in the top of the ninth when Mast scored on a sacrifice fly from Matt Davis giving Bowles his only blemish.
 
The Cavaliers' offense plated three early runs in the first two innings off Malone starter Tyler Whitlatch (4-2) and tacked on a fourth in the bottom of the sixth on Johnny Knight IV's opposite field homerun.
 
Matt Davis had the Pioneers only hit of the contest with a single in the top of the fourth.He was quickly erased on a double-play ball later in the inning.
 
Jordan Knight struck out three in three innings of scoreless relief for the Pioneers.
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers, now 19-16 on the season and 11-7 in the GLIAC, will play the first of two weekend doubleheaders against Tiffin University on Saturday, April 23rd beginning at 2:00 pm. The Pioneers will then celebrate Senior Day on Sunday, April 24th starting at 12:00 pm.