The Malone University baseball team completed a four-game series sweep, its fourth in four weekends, with two wins during a Senior Day doubleheader against Alderson Broaddus University Saturday afternoon at a sunny Jackson High School in Massillon. The Pioneers began the day with a 6-1 win over the Battlers in the seven-inning opener before closing out the afternoon with an 8-4 win in the series finale.
 
Malone has now won 18 consecutive Great Midwest Athletic Conference contests and are in first place in the G-MAC Standings. The Pioneers are 29-11 this season, winners of nine straight overall, and 19 in a row against NCAA Division II opponents. Malone's only blemish over the last 20 games is its loss at NCAA Division I Kent State.
 
Starcher Day / Senior Day
Along with Senior Day, the Pioneer baseball team celebrated Bob Starcher Day on Saturday, honoring the Pioneers' longtime skipper and all-time winningest head coach. Prior to the doubleheader, juniors Eric Mullet and Christian Specht were announced as the 2019 Bob Starcher Memorial Scholarship recipients. Malone Athletics Hall of Famer John Russell threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
 
In between game one and game two of the twinbill, Matt Noel, Anthony Stillwagon, and Austin White were recognized in a Senior Day celebration in front of friends and family.
 
Game One Recap
Starting pitcher Clyde Yoder allowed a lone run in the top of the second inning, but was otherwise outstanding in improving to 6-1 on the season. Yoder would pitch six-and-a-third innings, registering seven strikeouts before giving way to the pen in the final inning. Anthony Stillwagon entered with one out in the top of the seventh to quickly record the final two outs in front of a delighted Senior Day crowd.
 
After Alderson Broaddus scored in the top of the second, Malone tied it with a run in the bottom of the frame, three runs in the third, and two more in the fourth. Jacob Mottice smashed his fifth homerun of the season to leadoff the second inning before Malone took its first lead of the game on Turner Hill's RBI single. Senior Austin White added a two-run single in the third before the Pioneers completed the scoring on a two-run blast from Hill in the fourth.
 
Hill's homerun, his second of the season, was part of a perfect 4-for-4 outing. In addition to the career-high four hits, Hill finished with three RBI and two runs scored. Senior catcher Matt Noel added two hits, including a double while leadoff man Tyson Gingerich added a double and a pair of runs scored.
 
Game Two Recap
Malone went up 2-0 in the top of the first inning on a pair of bases-loaded walks by seniors Matt Noel and Austin White. The Battlers fought back to tie it with two runs in the third and then took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the top of the fourth.
 
The lead did not last long, though, as Malone answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Tyson Gingerich singled in a run before Turner Hill absorbed a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. The Pioneers then traded two outs for a run on a bases-loaded double-play ball which put the hosts ahead 5-4.
 
Junior reliever Tyrus Jones, who entered for starter Tommy Walker in the fourth, kept the Battlers off the board over the next four innings before Clay Cooper pitched a scoreless ninth. Jones (4-1) allowed just one hit over four-and-a-third innings to earn the victory.
 
Malone tacked on three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim the 8-4 triumph. Gingerich singled in the Pioneers' sixth run before Hill plated two more with a perfectly-executed double squeeze bunt.
 
Hill followed up his 4-for-4 effort in game one with two hits and three RBI in game two. Tyson Gingerich collected two RBI singles and three runs scored while Cade Mottice singled, doubled and scored twice. Older brother Zach Mottice added a double of his own.
 
Up Next
The Pioneers are off until next weekend when they travel south to take on Ohio Valley (WV) for a pair of doubleheaders on April 19th and 20th.