The Malone University baseball team took game one of a four-game series with Davis & Elkins College 9-1 Friday afternoon at Jackson High School. Game two of the series was suspended in the sixth inning with Malone leading 8-1 and will resume on Saturday morning prior to the start of the regularly-scheduled doubleheader.
 
On an afternoon mired by cold temperatures, gusty winds, and intermittent rain and snow, the Pioneers earned their first Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) win of the season and improved to 11-10 overall.
 
Game One Recap
The Senators (0-16, 0-1 G-MAC) grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a two-out single in the of the first off of Pioneer starter Eric Mullet. Mullet (2-2) bounced back to hold D&E scoreless over the next five innings and eventually picked up the decision. The junior righty surrendered just three hits and two walks while striking out three over six innings.
 
Offensively, Malone did the majority of its damage during the bottom of the second inning. Five walks, two infield RBI singles from Cade Mottice and Tyson Gingerich and a two-run double by Matt Noel highlighted a seven-run inning as Malone took control of the contest.
 
Malone added an eighth run in the bottom of the sixth and then tallied its final run in the eighth when Mottice clubbed a solo homerun over the right field fence. The four-bagger was the first of his collegiate career for the junior second baseman, who reached base in all five plate appearances and finished with three RBI.
 
Turner Hill added two hits for Malone while Jacob Mottice scored a pair of runs. Sophomore reliever James Kontur recorded his second collegiate save after pitching the final three frames, allowing just two hits while posting five strikeouts.
 
In GAME TWO, Malone scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take an 8-1 lead before a snow squall in the top of the sixth inning created unfavorable playing conditions and forced a suspension.
 
Up Next
The conclusion of game two will be played Saturday morning at Jackson High School beginning at 10:00 am. Saturday's original doubleheader will follow immediately afterward.