The Malone University baseball team ran its Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) winning streak to 16 consecutive games with an exciting doubleheader sweep of Alderson Broaddus University Friday evening at Jackson High School.  The Pioneers overcame 14 Battler hits to win 8-7 in the nine-inning opener and then overcame a 5-0 first-inning deficit to sweep the day with an 8-6, seven-inning victory in game two.
 
The Pioneers improved to 27-11 on the season and 16-4 in the G-MAC. They have now seven consecutive games overall and 17 straight against Division II opponents. Alderson Broaddus, meanwhile, dropped to 12-22-1 on the season and 10-10 in G-MAC play.
 
Game One Recap
The Pioneers countered Alderson Broaddus' 14 hits with 11 of their own, including two in the bottom of the first inning. Following a leadoff single by Tyson Gingerich and a wild pitch, the rookie shortstop came in to score on an RBI single from senior catcher Matt Noel to make it 1-0. Malone then made it 2-0 in the bottom of the second on a left-field homerun by sophomore Clay Wisner, his first of the season and the second of his career.
 
The Battlers answered with two runs in the top of the third before Malone plated another run to break the tie. An RBI groundout by Turner Hill put the Pioneers back in front before AB took its first lead of the game with two more runs in the fourth.
 
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth, Malone went up for good with four runs in the inning. After a leadoff single by Austin White, freshman Josh Haygood crushed his team-leading fifth homerun of the season deep over the right field fence to make it a 5-4 contest. An RBI groundout by Gingerich and an RBI single by Hill later in the frame gave Malone a 7-4 advantage.
 
The Battlers responded by scoring two runs for the third straight inning, but Pioneer starter Christian Specht (4-1) worked his way out of the jam to hang on for the lead. Specht would finish with sevn strikeouts over five innings pitched.
 
Malone tacked on an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when the brothers Mottice (Jacob and Zach) perfectly executed a double steal of second and home.  That run became especially important when the Battlers closed to within one with a solo homer in the seventh.
 
After stranding a runner at third base with nobody out in the eighth, the Battlers went to the ninth trailing 8-7 as the Pioneers called upon closer Clay Cooper. The sophomore lefty pitched around a one-out single, striking out the side while preserving the victory and earning his seventh save of the season.
 
Three different Pioneers, Haygood, White, and Zach Mottice, who scored twice and doubled, collected two hits apiece. Cade Mottice added a double while Gingerich scored a pair of runs.
 
Game Two Recap
The Pioneers were quieted in the top of the first inning when the Battlers batted around and scored five runs off of staff ace Eric Mullet. Malone went down in order in the first two innings before a check-swing infield single by Josh Haygood to lead off the bottom of the third ignited an exciting come-from-behind victory.
 
Malone would score one run in that third inning on a fielder's choice play in which the AB second baseman failed to hang on to a line drive, allowing a run to race home. The Pioneers then scored three runs in the fourth to bring the gap within one.
 
With runners on second and third and one out in the inning, Austin White went opposite field, driving in both runners on a double down the right field line. After another infield single by Haygood, White came in to score on a well-executed safety squeeze bunt by Clay Wisner.
 
Still down 5-4 entering the fifth, Malone grabbed an 8-5 lead with four runs in the decisive inning. With the bases loaded and one out in the frame, Jacob Mottice lined a two-run double down the right field line to put Malone ahead 6-5. An RBI groundout by White and then a two-out, RBI triple from Haygood left the Pioneers in front 8-5 with two innings to play.
 
The Battlers put runners on first and second in the sixth, but Mullet (6-2) induced a harmless popout to squash the threat. Mullet, who posted six strikeouts in the win, fought back from the troublesome first inning to pitch five scoreless frames before giving way to Clay Cooper in the seventh.
 
Making his second appearance of the day, Cooper was shaky in the inning, walking a batter, hitting a batter, and throwing two wild pitches, but the sophomore closer showed his toughness. Representing the game-tying run, Cooper struck out the final batter of the game to secure the sweep and collect his G-MAC leading eight save of the season.
 
Offensively, Josh Haygood finished with three hits while Austin White totaled three RBI. Turner Hill singled twice and scored twice while Matt Noel added a pair of runs scored.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers and Battlers will square off twice more on Saturday (April 13th) in a Senior Day doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm at Jackson High School.