The Malone University baseball team picked up its 30th win of the season during a doubleheader split with Ohio Valley University Thursday afternoon in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
 
The Pioneers opened the doubleheader with a 6-3, nine-inning setback but bounced back with a 1-0, seven-inning victory in game two behind an outstanding pitching performance by Clyde Yoder. With the split, Malone is now 30-12 on the season and 19-5 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Ohio Valley, meanwhile, is 7-29 on the year and 7-15 in the G-MAC.
 
Game One Recap
The Pioneers used four base hits to open up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but managed just one run over the final eight frames. A leadoff single by Tyson Gingerich preceded a run-scoring double by Turner Hill to account for the game's first run. Hill then moved to third on a single by Matt Noel and scored on an infield single by Austin White.
 
Malone's 2-0 advantage lasted until the bottom of the fourth when the Fighting Scots scored three runs off of starter Eric Mullet (6-3), who had faced the minimum over the first three innings. The Pioneers tied it in the top of the fifth as Gingerich singled and then scored on a pair of OVU errors.
 
Ohio Valley went back in front for good with a run in the bottom of the fifth and then tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh. Starting pitcher Ryan Valentine (2-5) shut out the Pioneers over the final four innings, finishing the day with five strikeouts. Valentine threw 140 pitches in the complete game victory.
 
Malone piled up 10 hits in the loss, including two each from Gingerich and Noel. Junior designated hitter Trey Davis added a double, the first of his collegiate career.
 
The loss snapped a streak of 19 straight wins against NCAA Division II opponents, 18 straight wins in G-MAC play, and nine straight wins overall.
 
Game Two Recap
Locked into a pitchers' duel, the two teams exchanged zeros over the first six innings before Malone broke through for a run with two outs in the seventh. With Cade Mottice on second after a one-out single and a groundout, Tyson Gingerich delivered a clutch RBI double to give the Pioneers their only run of the game.
 
Starting pitcher Clyde Yoder, who sat down the Scots in order in the bottom of the seventh, was dominant in a complete game shutout. Yoder posted nine strikeouts while allowing just five hits (all singles) and a walk as he improved to a G-MAC best 7-1 on the season and lowered his season ERA to 2.66. The shutout was the first of his career.
 
Offensively, Malone totaled six hits off of tough-luck OVU starter Nicholas Shower (1-5), who struck out five in the complete game effort. Gingerich and Matt Noel each finished with two hits. Austin White added a double.
 
Up Next
Weather permitting, Malone and Ohio Valley will continue their four-game series on Friday, April 19th. Start time is set for 12:00 pm.