The Malone University baseball team extended its winning streak to a season-high six games with a non-conference doubleheader sweep of Wheeling Jesuit University Thursday afternoon in Massillon. The Pioneers received a pair of sterling pitching performances from sophomore lefty Braun Miller, who struck out 10 in a 6-0 victory in game one, and freshman righty Eric Mullet, who tossed a one-hit shutout in Malone's 1-0 victory in game two.
 
The shutouts marked Malone's second and third in the last two days and the fourth and fifth of the season. With the pair of victories, Malone improved to 26-14 overall and 11-2 in the last 13 games. The 14 combined shutout innings on Thursday lowered the team ERA to 3.65, the second-lowest mark in the Midwest Region. The Pioneer offense, which collected 16 hits over the two games, raised its team batting average to .330, the best mark in the Region.
 
Game One Recap
After allowing hits to two of the first three batters of the game, Braun Miller (2-3) settled in to retire the next 12 batters in a row over a four-inning stretch that included a string of five straight strikeouts and seven overall. Miller would go on to record a career-high 10 strikeouts in the seven-inning affair, baffling the WJU hitters all afternoon.  The 6'4" southpaw allowed just four hits and a pair of hit batsmen as he finished the shutout on just 79 pitches. The complete game effort was the first of his career.
 
The Pioneer offense gave Miller a run to work with in the bottom of the second on an RBI groundout from Michael Mathieu. Back-to-back RBI base hits from Keanan Locke and Matt Noel in the bottom of the third increased the lead to 3-0.
 
Noel came through again with a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth before a Joe Crank triple (his fifth of the season) plated the Pioneers' sixth and final run in the sixth.
 
Noel, who came into the week as the top-hitting catcher in all of NCAA DII, went 3-for-3 with three RBI. Keanan Locke added a double and two runs scored. Zach Mottice chipped in with a double before scoring on Crank's triple.
 
Game Two Recap
As good as Miller was in the opener, Eric Mullet (5-1) was equally impressive, if not more so, in the nightcap as he cruised to the complete game shutout while allowing just one hit, one walk, and one HBP on 78 pitches. The talented righthander faced the minimum through 5.1 innings, working around a walk in the fourth with an inning-ending double play. After a lengthy delay following a hit-by-pitch in the top of the sixth, Mullet lost his no-no bid on a line drive single to center.
 
Mullet worked out of the sixth-inng jam after fielding a line drive and doubling up the runner on first. In the top of the seventh, Mullet worked a 1-2-3 frame, capping off the complete game with a swinging strikeout. In total, the freshman righty recorded six strikeouts in his first career shutout.
 
The one-hit performance was backed by a tremendous defensive effort sparked by a trio of plays from second baseman Zach Mottice. Mottice made two rangy plays up the middle before executing a pair of jump throws to first. He also made a leaping catch on a line drive in the hole to end the top of the second.
 
Wheeling Jesuit starter Brian Shaw did well to keep the Pioneer lineup in check, allowing just one run over five innings, but was a tough-luck loser going up against Mullet.
 
Keanan Locke plated Malone's only run of the game with a high-hit infield chopper in the bottom of the first that scored Nate Cobb.
 
Cobb, who recorded his team-leading 19th stolen base before scoring on Locke's single, led the offense with a pair of base knocks. Austin White also added two singles.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers will be off until next Wednesday, April 26th when they welcome Ohio Dominican for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 12:00 pm. The twinbill will be played at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton.