The Malone University softball team concluded its spring break trip to the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Friday by splitting a pair of games with Ohio Christian University and Cardinal Stritch University.
The Pioneers topped the Trailblazers 6-2 in the opener before falling in eight innings to the Wolves by a final score of 4-3.
Following Friday's contests, Malone heads back to the Buckeye State with a 6-4 overall record.
Game One Recap
Isabella Roberts improved her record to 3-0 on the season after tossing her third complete game of the week. The sophomore limited the Trailblazers to two runs on five hits while striking out three over her seven innings of work.
The Pioneers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Nicole Ferrara and
Bailey Byers led off the game with back-to-back doubles to put Malone on the scoreboard. Designated player
Anna Myers later ripped an RBI single to left to score Byers and increase the Pioneer advantage to 2-0.
Ohio Christian cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth with a one-out RBI single. However, the Pioneers immediately responded with two runs in the top of the fifth. Rightfielder
Kendall Reidenbach led off the inning with a single and later came home to score on a Trailblazer error. Myers then came through once more, smacking an RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it a 4-1 game.
Byers, who clubbed 21 homers during her senior season at West Branch High School, delivered her first collegiate long ball in the top of the seventh – a two-run shot that put Malone in front 6-1.
A two-out RBI single allowed the Trailblazers to tack on a run in the bottom of the seventh, but with a pair of runners on base, Roberts induced an infield fly out to cement the Malone victory.
Byers went 2-for-3 in the contest with two runs scored and four runs batted in. Ferrara added three hits in four at-bats from the leadoff spot with three runs scored.
Game Two Recap
Caley Ritts ripped a two-out RBI triple to the left-centerfield gap in the top of the second inning, driving in
Ashley Beck with the first run of the game.
Cardinal Stritch answered back in the bottom of the inning, pulling ahead 2-1 following a two-out, two-run single to center. With runners on second and third, the next Wolves' batter lined a sharp line drive to left but a nice diving catch by Ferrera prevented Cardinal Stritch from increasing its advantage.
Ritts knotted the score up at 2-2 in the top of the seventh with an RBI fielder's choice. Pitcher
Samantha Fruchey then worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings still deadlocked at two runs apiece.
Malone pulled ahead with a run in the top of the eighth inning. Byers led off the frame with a single to center, advanced to second on
Serena Tucciarelli's sacrifice bunt and then to third on a wild pitch. Myers then stepped to the plate and lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Byers.
Cardinal Stritch rallied back in the bottom of the frame. A pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out. The next batter of the inning lined a single back up the middle. The tying run crossed the plate, but a strong throw from
Madison Corrick in center caught the runner trying to score from second, keeping the game at 3-3. However, an infield single moved the Wolves' baserunner to third before a single to left gave Cardinal Stritch the walk-off victory.
Fruchey took the loss after tossing 4.2 innings of relief. Byers finished the game with a pair of hits, including a first-inning double.
Up Next:
Malone is scheduled to host its home opener against West Liberty University on Thursday, March 22nd. The first pitch of the non-conference doubleheader is slated for 3:00 p.m.
