The Malone University softball team lost both games in their regular season finale on Saturday afternoon. The team lost game one 5-4 in extra innings before falling 11-3 in six innings in game two. Despite the losses on Saturday, the Pioneers have clinched a spot in the G-MAC tournament as the sixth seed. This is the first time that Malone's softball team has made a postseason appearance since 2012. It is the team's first playoff appearance since entering NCAA Division II as well.
Game One Recap
The Pioneers took a 1-0 lead in game one when
Madison Corrick scored on a fielding error on the third baseman. Corrick led the inning off with her second of three hits in the contest. Kentucky Wesleyan answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the third.
Malone regained their lead in top of the fourth inning on a
Madison Corrick double that scored
Kendall Reidenbach.
Ashley Beck hit a two-run blast two left center in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead over the Panthers.
Mikayla Fowler, who scored on Beck's homerun, led off the inning with a single. Fowler had three hits in the game.
After scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kentucky Wesleyan was able to score one more run in the seventh inning to send the game to extra innings. In the bottom of the eight the Panthers hit a pair of doubles to earn the 5-4 victory.
Game Two Recap
The Pioneer offense made a big splash early in game two, scoring two runs in the first inning.
Madison Corrick led off the game with an infield single to the shortstop.
Ashley Beck hit her second two-run homerun of the day with two outs in the first inning for the early 2-0 advantage.
Kentucky Wesleyan scored a run in the second, and added two more in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead over Malone. The Panthers extended their lead even further in the fourth, scoring three runs on two hits and an error by the Pioneer defense.
Malone would score one more run in the top of the fifth, but it would not be enough for a comeback.
Madison Corrick had her second hit of the contest, a double to centerfield, before scoring on a sacrifice fly by
Mikayla Fowler.
Kentucky Wesleyan added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth and one more run in the sixth inning that put the run-rule into effect and ended the game early by a final score of 11-3.
Up Next
Malone will take on top-seeded Cedarville in the first round of the conference tournament on Thursday, May 4
th. Malone's first game will begin at 10:30am. The G-MAC tournament will take place at Athletes In Action in Xenia, Ohio.