The Malone University baseball team split a pair of doubleheader games against rival Walsh University Wednesday afternoon in North Canton. The Pioneers overcame a five-run deficit to tie game one in the final inning before falling 9-8 on a walk-off. Malone then bounced back to wallop Walsh 10-2 in game two to salvage the split and improve to 12-8 on the season.
 
Game One Recap
Malone took control of the game early on with three first-inning runs. Following a leadoff single from Nate Cobb and a walk by Joe Crank, an RBI double from Brenden Wells plated Cobb for the game's first run. Crank would come in to score on an RBI groundout from Keanan Locke before Matt Noel delivered an RBI single to left to make it 3-0.
 
After holding Walsh scoreless in the bottom of the first, starting pitcher Braun Miller was touched up for three runs in the second inning. Walsh designated hitter Austin Szink, who came into the game with a GLIAC-leading seven homeruns, blasted his eighth of the season to make it 3-2 before a Malone throwing allowed the Cavaliers to tie at 3-all.
 
The Cavaliers scored twice more in the bottom of the third on a pair of solo shots, including another by Austin Szink. Three more runs came around an inning later when Walsh belted its fourth homer of the ball game to make it 8-3.
 
After being held scoreless from the second through fifth innings, Malone, determined to not go down without a fight, battled back with four runs in the top of the sixth. Following a Locke hit-by-pitch and a Noel single, Michael Mathieu knocked in a run with a single of his own. Ryan Sarbaugh followed with a clutch double to make it an 8-5 contest. Two batters later, Zach Mottice made it 8-6 with an RBI groundout before Nate Cobb came through with a two-out RBI triple to close the gap to 8-7.
 
With dominant Walsh closer Ryan McSweeney on the mound in the top of the seventh, leadoff man Brenden Wells coaxed a walk to start the inning. Prior to Wednesday, McSweeney had not allowed a walk nor a run in 10.1 innings this season, but he saw both of those streaks come to an end on Wednesday. After a sacrifice bunt from Locke and passed ball moved Wells to third, Matt Noel tied it all up at 8-8 with a line drive base hit to right.
 
With Malone closer Gunnar Smeyres (1-2)  in to pitch the bottom of the seventh, Walsh took advantage of a leadoff double before scoring the game-winning run on a two-out base hit to spoil Malone's comeback bid.
 
Matt Noel had three singles to lead the Malone offense. Cobb, Mathieu, and Sarbaugh each collected two hits apiece
 
Game Two Recap
Malone responded with a decisive 10-2 victory against the Cavs in the nightcap. Noel once again came through with a base knock in the top of the second to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead. Brenden Wells made it a 2-0 contest in the top of the fourth with a towering solo blast, his first of the season.
 
The Pioneers made it 3-0 in the top of the sixth when Nate Cobb took advantage of a pair of throwing errors to score from first on a pickoff. The freshman speedster moved to first to third on an errant throw from the pitcher before another throwing error from the first baseman over the third baseman's head allowed him to trot home.
 
The Pioneers tacked on two more runs in the inning when Matt Noel crushed a Walsh offering over the left center field fence. The two-run bomb, the first of Noel's career, gave Malone a 5-0 lead.
 
Walsh would finally put a run up in the bottom of the sixth. Starting pitcher Eric Mullet (2-1), who was dealing through five scoreless, keeping the Cavaliers off balanced all game with a sharp breaking ball, would hit a snag in the inning. Three straight hits would chase the freshman righty before fellow freshman righty Christian Specht came in to limit the damage. Mullet finished the game with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Specht would go on to work scoreless seventh and eighth innings, collecting a pair of Ks himself.
 
The Malone lineup, meanwhile, added four more runs in the top of the seventh. Nate Cobb accounted for three of those runs, driving in two with a double to left center and later scoring on an RBI single from Keanan Locke. Zach Mottice also scored in the inning, winning a footrace to home on a Walsh wild pitch.
 
Joe Crank got into the action an inning later with an RBI single that made it 10-1. Walsh tacked on a harmless run in the bottom of the ninth inning before Malone prevailed with the 10-2 victory.
 
Cobb, Locke, and Noel each collected two hits in the nightcap as did sophomore transfer Damian Maglione, who registered his first-ever base hit as a Pioneer.
 
Up Next
Malone will play its home opener in the first of two weekend doubleheaders against Alderson Broaddus. The Pioneers will open the series on Saturday, April 1st with a 1:00 pm first pitch.