The Malone University softball team dropped a pair of non-conference games against Lake Erie on Wednesday. The Pioneers got shutout in game one, 7-0. Malone regrouped and took Lake Erie to extra-innings in game two where they would eventually lose 8-6.
 
Game One Recap
 
The Pioneers were unable to get things going in game one, being out-hit 11-4 in game one. Lake Erie was able to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning that would hold through the contest.
 
Malone got two of their four hits in the contest in the bottom half of the first inning, but was unable to bring in a run.
 
Lake Erie tacked on two runs in the third, two in the in sixth, and one more in the seventh inning for the 7-0 shutout.
 
Game Two Recap
 
Malone's offensive struggles would come to a complete halt in game two. The team scored six runs on fourteen hits in game two. The fourteen hits for Malone ties their season high. The Pioneers had five players with multiple hits in the game, led by Anna Myers' three hits.
 
Lake Erie took an early 4-0 lead after scoring in each of the first three innings. Malone would fight their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom half of the third, ignited by a two-out triple by Anna Myers down the right field line. Allyson Gruen kept the fire burning and got the Pioneers on the board with an RBI double to deep centerfield.
 
Malone would cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning on a single by Shelby Hulin that scored Ashley Beck from second base.
 
Lake Erie increased their lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth, but the Pioneers would continue to claw their way back into the fight by adding a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Allyson Gruen hit a two-out single to right field. Kendall Reidenbach came in to pinch run for Gruen and delivered big-time, scoring from first base on a double from Emily Beck to left field.
 
The Pioneer defense shut The Storm down in the top of the sixth, and delivered in a big way in the sixth inning. The Pioneers had two outs and nobody on before rallying to score three runs to tie the game. The inning was highlighted by an RBI double from Anna Myers that scored Maria Mokler from first base. Myers was a homerun shy of hitting for the cycle. Allyson Gruen crossed home plate on a wild pitch to tie the game at six runs apiece.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the seventh inning, sending the game to extra innings and installing the international tiebreaker rule, which puts a runner on second base to start each team's at-bats. Lake Erie was able to take advantage of their runner and then some, taking an 8-6 advantage in the top of the eighth inning. Despite a pair of deep fly balls, Malone was unable to capitalize in the bottom half of the inning and came up just short of the comeback victory.
 
Up Next
 
Malone will travel to Ohio Valley for a four-game series on Friday and Saturday.