The Malone University baseball team improved to 8-0 on its spring break trip with wins over the University of Minnesota Duluth and Saint Anselm College (NH) Thursday at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Florida. The Pioneers scored four runs in the bottom of the eight to down UMD 6-4 in game one before pounding out 13 hits in a 14-4 eight-inning victory over Saint Anselm in game two.
 
Malone vs. Minnesota Duluth Recap
The two squads traded zeros until Malone scored the day's first run on back-to-back doubles by Joe Crank and Matt Noel in the bottom of the fourth. Three batters later, Noel scored on an RBI single from Todd Ropp to make it a 2-0 ball game.
 
Minnesota Duluth cut the deficit in half after finally breaking through against Malone starter Joshua Hurford in the top of the sixth. After giving up just two singles over the first five frames, Hurford surrendered three straight singles to the heart of the Bulldog order and lost his bid for a second straight shutout. The senior righty worked out of the jam, though, to keep the lead intact.
 
A Malone error in the top of the seventh led to the game-tying run and eventually chased Hurford, who finished with nine strikeouts in another outstanding outing. Despite being credited with a no-decision, Hurford recorded his 12th straight start, dating back to last season, of giving up two earned runs or fewer.
 
The Bulldogs seized a 3-2 lead against the Malone bullpen in the top of the eighth before the Pioneers plated four in the game-changing bottom half. Damian Maglione's RBI single tied the game 3-3 before a suicide squeeze bunt by Turner Hill put Malone ahead by one. Senior first baseman Todd Ropp followed with a towering two-run homer to left that gave Malone a three-run advantage. Ropp's round-tripper was the first of his collegiate career.
 
Down 6-3 in the top of the ninth, Minnesota Duluth manufactured a run against freshman James Kontur (1-0), but the rookie reliever induced a flyout to center and a groundout to second base to end the game and preserve the victory.
 
Ropp finished the game with two of Malone's six hits and three RBI. Maglione collected two singles.
 
Malone vs. Saint Anselm Recap
The Pioneers plated three runs in the top of the first after three straight walks to begin the contest. Following a bases loaded fielder's choice, Zach Mottice scored the game's first run on a passed ball before Damian Maglione drove in a run on an RBI groundout and later scored on a Saint Anselm throwing error a batter later.
 
Against senior righthander Trevor Beerman, who was making his first collegiate start, the Hawks answered with two runs in the bottom of the first to cut their deficit to 3-2. Beerman settled down to work scoreless second and third innings before giving way to the bullpen. The Hawks got to reliever Christian Specht for two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead over Malone.
 
The Pioneer bats heated up in the top of the fifth to the tune of five hits and five runs. Matt Noel led off the frame with a double and later scored on a single from Maglione. Todd Ropp followed with an RBI double. He moved to third on a single by Austin White and then scored on a single off the bat of Turner Hill. Following a wild pitch that scored White and moved Hill to third, the Pioneers tallied their fifth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Nate Cobb.
 
Malone added another sac fly RBI by Jacob Mottice to increase its lead to 9-4 in the of the sixth. The Pioneers scored three runs in the seventh on another throwing, another passed ball, and an RBI single from Maglione. Malone tacked on two more runs in the eighth on RBI base hits by White and Cobb.
 
With the 10-run rule in effect, the Pioneers closed the door in the bottom of the eighth to stretch their win streak to eight in a row. After running into trouble in the fourth, Specht (1-1) along with fellow relievers Cody Ballay, Tommy Walker, and Anthony Stillwagon combined to pitch four shutout innings to end the game.
 
Todd Ropp continued his red hot afternoon with two hits and two runs in game two. Maglione, who matched a career-high with three RBI, White, and Hill all finished with two hits apiece. Leadoff man Nate Cobb reached base five times (four walks and a single), stole four bases, and drove in a pair as the Pioneers earned their second run-rule victory in as many days.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers, now 8-4 overall, will play a single nine-inning game against Notre Dame College (OH) on Friday before ending their spring trip with two games on Saturday.