The Malone University baseball team avoided a four-game sweep with a decisive 12-3 victory at Ashland University Sunday, spoiling the AU Senior Day. The Pioneers, who came into the game with 14 hits in the previous three games, piled up 16 hits in a much-needed victory over the first place Eagles.
 
Recap:
After scoring just five combined runs in the first three games with Ashland, Malone almost matched that total with four runs in the top of the first as five straight hits helped the Pioneers bat around in the inning.
 
With Richie Mast on first via a single, Jon Crank's 11th homerun of the season, a shot to right center, gave Malone a 2-0 lead. A double from Matt Davis, an infield single from Brenden Wells, and an RBI single from Ryan Sarbaugh put Malone up 3-0. Joe Crank's RBI groundout two batters later gave the Pioneers a 4-0 edge.
 
Ashland chipped away at the lead with a run in the bottom of the third. A two-run blast from Mackenzie Hampshire in the bottom of the fourth brought the Eagles to within one before the Pioneers immediately answered back with three runs in the top of the fifth.
 
Matt Davis' double off the centerfield wall scored Jon Crank from first for the inning's first run. Ryan Sarbaugh's second run-scoring single of the game plated Davis and made it 6-3. Three batters later, Austin Pachan took a bases-loaded delivery to the head, driving in a run with a hit-by-pitch and making it a 7-3 contest.
 
The Pioneers batted around for the third time of the game just an inning later, scoring four more runs in the seventh. An RBI single from Ryan Froman upped the lead to 8-3 before the Pioneers proceeded to load the bases. Another RBI hit-by-pitch, this time from Richie Mast, plated the second run of the inning. Jon Crank's single up the middle drove in two more runs and increased the lead to 11-3.
 
Malone added to their lead with another run in the eighth. After doubling of the left-centerfield wall, Ryan Froman scored the Pioneers' 12th and final run on a single from Joe Crank.
 
Seven Pioneers collected multi-hit games as Jon Crank led the way with a four-hit effort and four RBI. Joe Crank and Ryan Sarbaugh added two hits and two RBI apiece. Ryan Froman and Brenden Wells each finished with two hits and two runs scored. Matt Davis double twice and scored twice.
 
Malone starting pitcher Roscoe Blackburn (3-4) earned the win on the hill after holding Ashland to three runs in 6.1 innings.
 
Playoff Watch:
With the win, the Pioneers improved to 13-7 in the GLIAC South Division and repositioned themselves in the number two spot in the standings. Walsh, who dropped to 11-7 after a loss to Ohio Dominican on Sunday, can still overtake Malone for the #2 seed with two wins over Lake Erie on Wednesday.
 
Although the Pioneers will be relegated to scoreboard watching for the second of two automatic bids from the GLIAC South, they still control their own destiny for one of two at-large bids remaining in the overall GLIAC standings.
 
Up Next:
Malone will wrap up the regular season this weekend in Detroit where the Pioneers will take on Wayne State University in a pair of doubleheaders. The first twinbill is scheduled for Saturday, May 7th at 1:00 pm.