The Malone University baseball team completed a four-game series sweep of Lake Erie College and extended its win streak to 10 consecutive games with two victories over the Storm during a doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Jackson High School.
 
A walk-off two-run single by Tyson Gingerich in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Pioneers a 3-2 triumph in Monday's first game before Malone piled up 15 hits in a 12-4 victory in the nine-inning series finale. With the wins, Malone improved to 20-10 on the season and 10-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Malone is the first team in the G-MAC and the fourth in the Midwest Region to win 20 games this season.
 
Game One Recap
Lake Erie, which dropped to 11-13 overall and 5-7 in the G-MAC, led early in both games, starting out with a 1-0 advantage in the first inning of Monday's opener. The Pioneers answered quickly in the bottom of the first as Matt Noel tied it a 1-1 with an RBI single through his patented "Noel hole" in the left side of the infield.
 
Pitching was the name of the game for both sides over the next several innings before the Storm grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth with a lead-off homerun. Tyrus Jones, who came on to pitch in the second inning, retired the next six batters to give the Pioneer lineup a chance in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Two walks by Austin White and Clay Wisner put the game-tying run on second base with one out in the seventh before a bunt single by Bryan Yoder loaded the bases and moved the game-winning run into scoring position for Tyson Gingerich.
 
Entering the game with a 19-game reached-base, Gingerich was 0-for-3 in his previous three at-bats but worked a full count against Lake Erie closer Chris Mutter (0-1). With a chance to tie it with a walk, Gingerich did one better, lining the 3-2 offering into left centerfield to chase home both White and Wisner without a throw home. The redshirt freshman hero was mobbed by his teammates after rounding first base and watching the game-winning run score.
 
Tyrus Jones (2-1) picked up the win on the mound after giving up just one run over six innings of relief. The junior righty struck out three while allowing just three hits and a walk. Lake Erie starter Evan Layne deserved a better fate but was handed a no-decision after giving way to the bullpen in the final inning. Layne struck out 11 batters and gave up just one run over six innings.
 
Game Two Recap
The Pioneers fell behind 2-0 after the Storm hit solo homeruns in each of the first two innings, but responded with nine unanswered runs, including four in the second and three in third.
 
RBI groundouts by Jacob Mottice and Clay Wisner tied the game at 2-2 before a two-run double by Zach Mottice into the gap in left center made it a 4-2 game. In the third, Wisner singled in Malone's fifth run before Cade Mottice doubled down the third-base line to plate two more. Cade Mottice's two-run single in the bottom of the fifth upped the Pioneer advantage to 9-2.
 
After Lake Erie got a run back in the sixth, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Austin White put Malone in double digits for the sixth time this season and the third time in the last seven games. The Storm added a run in the seventh before Matt Noel doubled in a run in the eighth and later scored on a wild pitch.
 
Coming on in relief of start Eric Mullet (4-2), senior lefty Anthony Stillwagon struck out two over two scoreless innings. Mullet totaled seven strikeouts over seven innings.
 
Cade Mottice led the offense with three hits and a season-high four RBI out of the nine spot in the order. Josh Haygood doubled twice as part of a three-hit day and scored two runs. Matt Noel, Austin White, and Jacob Mottice all collected two hits and scored multiple times. Turner Hill added a double and three walks. Tyson Gingerich walked to lead-off the first inning and stretch his reached-base streak to 21 games.
 
Up Next
Malone will face NCAA Division I Kent State in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday, April 2nd. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 pm.