G-MAC Tournament Webpage

The Malone University softball team is advancing to the second round of the G-MAC tournament. The Pioneer squad nearly knocked off top-seeded Cedarville, but fell 3-2 in extra innings. Facing elimination, the Pioneers rallied to defeat Ursuline 4-2 in their second game to move onto the next round. Malone's victory over Ursuline marks the team's first postseason victory since 2002.
 
Game One Recap
 
Cedarville took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Yellow Jackets hit a double and a triple in the inning to get on the board.
 
The Pioneers got on the board and took a lead in the top of the sixth inning. Maria Mokler and Madison Corrick started the inning with back-to-back singles. With Mokler representing the tying run at second, Mikayla Fowler delivered with a huge RBI single through the right side. Anna Myers followed with a sacrifice fly to give Malone the 2-1 lead.
 
Cedarville answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the sixth inning to tie the game back up at two runs apiece. Samantha Fruchey came in relief with runners on second and third and no outs and found a way out of the jam for the Pioneers.
 
After a scoreless seventh inning, the two teams went into extra innings with the Pioneers up to bat first. Madison Corrick led the inning off with a single. She moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Shelby Hulin and moved to third on a ground out by Mikayla Fowler, but the Pioneer offense was unable to get the run across.
 
Cedarville scored the game winning run in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Hallie Daughtry.
 



Game Two Recap
 
The Pioneers came out hungry facing elimination in their second game of the evening. Madison Corrick scored on a sacrifice fly by Anna Myers in the top of the first to give the team an early 1-0 lead.
 
Despite three hits in the bottom half of the inning, Ursuline was unable to answer back.
 
After going scoreless for the first five innings of the game, Ursuline tied the game up at a run apiece in the sixth inning.
 
Malone answered back with a huge three run inning in the top of the seventh. Maria Mokler led the inning off with a single and moved to second on a Taylor Lauer walk. Mikayla Fowler moved the runners over on a bunt single to load the bases. Mokler and Lauer scored on a fielding error by the second basement off the bat of Anna Myers. Fowler scored on a sacrifice fly from Ashley Beck to give the Pioneers a 4-1 lead.
 
Ursuline was able to add one run in the seventh, but the Pioneer defense prevailed to give Malone the victory.  Allyson Gruen tallied the win while Isabella Roberts registered the final two outs to notch her fourth save of the year.
 
Up Next
 
Malone will face the loser of Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene. The day and time of the contest is to be determined (depending on the weathe in the Xenia, Ohio area).  Stay tuned to www.malonepioneers.com for the latest schedule updates