The Malone University baseball team dropped a pair of games to visiting Trevecca Nazarene University in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) doubleheader Friday afternoon at Jackson High School. In the nine-inning opener, the Pioneers fell 6-4. In the seven-inning nightcap, Trevecca prevailed 11-4. With the losses, the Pioneers slipped to 10-7 on the season while the Trojans improved to 8-8.
 
Game One Recap
Sophomore centerfielder Jacob Mottice gave Malone a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when he drilled his first collegiate homerun over the right field fence. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fourth when the Trojans answered with their own solo shot.
 
Trevecca went on top with a run in the sixth before Malone plated two in the bottom half of the frame. Mitch Massaro drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to tie it and Tyson Gingerich delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly.
 
The Trojans knotted the score at 3-3 in the top of the seventh and then scored three unearned runs in a decisive and rainy eighth to take a 6-3 advantage. In the bottom of the ninth, Josh Haygood clubbed a one-out RBI double to make it a 6-4 contest. Representing the potential game-tying run, Haygood was stranded at second base as the final two batters went down swinging.
 
Eric Mullet (1-2) took the losing the decision, pitching seven-plus innings, allowing four runs (two earned) and striking out three. Clay Wisner collected two hits on offense while Matt Noel added a double.
 
Game Two Recap
The Pioneers grabbed a 1-0 advantage in identical fashion as they did the first game as Jacob Mottice led off the bottom of the second inning by putting a charge into a fastball for his second homer of the day. Malone's lead did not last long, however, as the Trojans sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the third and scored five runs off of starter Clyde Yoder (3-1).
 
The Pioneers got two of the runs back in the bottom half of the frame when Turner Hill smashed his first homerun of the season deep over the right field fence.
 
Trevecca answered with five runs in its next two at-bats to extend the margin to 10-3. Malone added a run in the bottom of the fifth and the Trojans added another in top of the seventh before securing the 11-4 triumph and the doubleheader sweep.
 
Turner Hill totaled three hits in the contest while Jacob Mottice added a single to his homerun.
 
Up Next
Malone and Trevecca will square off two more times on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 12:00 pm at Jackson High School in Massillon.