The Malone University baseball team split of pair of nine-inning contests Saturday afternoon during Baseball Week at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The Pioneers bats heated up under the Florida sun for a 14-4 win over Tiffin University in game one. In game two, Malone put 22 runners on base, but ultimately fell to Davenport University (MI) 10-9. With the split, the Pioneers are now 5-3 on the season.
 
Malone vs. Tiffin Recap
After a sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Noel put Malone ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first, the Pioneers fell behind 4-1 in the top of the fourth.  From there, though, Malone scored 13 unanswered runs over the next five innings, including six runs in the fourth.
 
Catcher Bryan Yoder delivered a two-run single to get the scoring started before an infield single by Zach Mottice tied it a 4-4. Jacob Mottice produced an RBI groundout, Turner Hill drove in a run with a single and Noel drove in another with a two-out double, which put Malone up 7-4.
 
Noel batted in another run in the sixth before a ninth run scored during the inning on a Tiffin fielding error. Noel collected two more RBI in the seventh while Yoder and Cade Mottice each recorded RBI singles.
 
Malone completed its scoring in the eighth when junior catcher Trey Davis slugged his first collegiate homerun – also the first hit of his career – deep over the right field wall. Davis' homer was Malone's first of the season.
 
The Pioneers finished with a season-high 16 hits in the victory, including three each from Noel, who finished with five RBI, Yoder, who drove in three, and Hill. Josh Haygood and Zach Mottice chipped in with two singles each while Zach Mottice, Jacob Mottice, Hill, Yoder, and Tyson Gingerich all scored twice.
 
Junior Tyrus Jones picked up the win on the mound, the first of his career, after pitching four innings of scoreless relief. The righthander allowed just one hit and struck out four.
 
Malone vs. Davenport Recap
After the Panthers scored an unearned run in the top of the first, Matt Noel continued his red-hot afternoon with an RBI double to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. An RBI groundout by Clay Wisner and an RBI single from Jacob Mottice gave Malone a 3-1 advantage by the end of one.
 
Davenport, however, scored nine runs over the next five innings, including one in the second, one in the third, four in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth. Malone's only answer during the stretch came in the bottom of the fourth when Turner Hill plated a run with a groundout. The Pioneers had a chance at run in the bottom of the third when Florida native Josh Haygood hit what appeared to be his first collegiate homerun, but failed to touch home plate and was called out on appeal.
 
Malone tacked on a fifth run in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly from Zach Mottice.
 
Down 10-5 entering the bottom of the eighth, Malone loaded the bases with no outs on two walks and a single by Mitch Massaro. An RBI fielder's choice by Turner Hill made it a 10-6 ball game before an RBI single by Tyson Gingerich cut the deficit to 10-7.
 
A one-out walk loaded the bases for Austin White, who drove in two runs with a double down the right field line. Another walk loaded the bases yet again, but the next two batters failed to drive in the tying run, leaving the bags full and the Pioneers down 10-9. In the bottom of the ninth, Malone managed only a two-out single as Davenport held on for the 3-hour and 30-minute victory.
 
The Pioneers drew 12 walks and totaled 10 hits in the contest, but left 11 men on base. Mitch Massaro led Malone with three hits, including a double. Turner Hill finished with two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored. Jacob Mottice drew three walks and scored three times while Tyson Gingerich scored twice. Relievers Tyler McKee (2 IP, 2 K) and Chandler Stahl (1 IP, 1 K) each worked scoreless outings.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers will take on Florida Tech and Assumption (MA) at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm respectively as they continue play at "Baseball Week" Monday March 4th at Alfond Stadium.