The Malone University softball team split a doubleheader against conference leader Ohio Dominican University on Monday. Malone took game one 1-0 and lost the back end 3-1 in eight innings. Pitcher Kelsey Byers threw a complete game one-hitter to secure the victory for the Pioneers in the opening game and Kristen Bales smacked a walk-off homerun in extra innings for the Panthers to even the series at one apiece.
 
After Monday's games, Malone now has a record of 18-14, 10-10 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and still hang on to the eighth and final playoff spot. Ohio Dominican holds the top spot in the G-MAC with a record of 29-19, 18-4 in conference play.
 
In the game one victory, winning pitcher Kelsey Byers tied the team record for most wins in a season with 16. She ties Ann Peterson, who achieved 16 wins in both 1998 and 1999.
 
Game One Recap:
Malone has had success scoring early this season, and were unsuccessful in this game to score early, but had chances with runners on base. Madison Corrick singled in the first, Kelsey Byers and Emily Betts were hit by pitches in the second, and Erika Johnson hit a bunt single in the third, but no one was able to cross the plate in the early goings.
 
After retiring the first eight Ohio Dominican hitters in order, the nine-hole hitter bunted down the third baseline for a single. She would be the only Panther to reach base in game one.
 
The Pioneers went down 1-2-3 in both the fourth and the fifth innings, but found offensive success in the top of the sixth inning. Corrick reached base again, this time off an error, then stole second base to put herself in scoring position. Three hitter April Howser reached via an error as well, this one scored Corrick from second base and brought in the lone run of the game.
 
Kelsey Byers received the 1-0 win, making her 16-6 on the year.
 
Game Two Recap:
In game two, both teams found runners in scoring position in the early goings. Bailey Byers hit a double down the left field line in the first, the Ohio Dominican lead-off hitter singled and advanced to second on a bunt, and Morgan Sampsel did the same for Malone, but all of them were left in scoring position.
 
Both pitchers (Allyson Gruen for Malone and Cameron Barber for Ohio Dominican) settled in for the middle innings, and the game remained scoreless without a threat of a run for either squad until the bottom of the fifth. The Panthers led off the inning with a single, then bunted her over to third with a sacrifice and bunt single. After stealing second, Ohio Dominican hit into a fielder's choice where the Pioneers tagged the runner out at third and escaped the jam with the game still scoreless.
 
In the sixth, the Pioneers had a chance to score, but were unsuccessful. Bailey Byers slapped a one-out double into right field and April Howser singled behind her to make it first and third, but Malone hit into a fielder's choice where Byers was gunned down at the dish.
 
Both teams went down in order for the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh. Ohio Dominican led off the bottom of the final frame with a double, but left her on base as the teams went to extra innings in a scoreless game.
 
With two outs in the eighth, Bailey Byers connected and hit her 12th homerun of the season to give Malone a 1-0 lead.
 
Ohio Dominican refused to quit with their backs against the wall. After two quick outs, the Panthers got the tying run on with a walk and a double put the tying run on third and winning run on second. On the full count pitch to Kristen Bales, she hit a three-run walk-off homerun to steal the game for Ohio Dominican 3-1.
 
Allyson Gruen received the loss, making her 1-2 on the season, despite a terrific pitching performance.
 
Totals:
- Freshman Kelsey Byers pitched seven innings, surrendered only one hit and struck out six. She faced 22 batters (one over the minimum).
- Allyson Gruen pitched seven and two-thirds innings, allowed seven hits, three runs and struck out two.
- Bailey Byers went 3-for-7 (three of the six total hits in game two), with an RBI and run scored on the homerun.
- Erika Johnson batted 2-for-6 (secured two of the three hits in game one).
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers are back in action tomorrow afternoon, April 23, against Ohio Valley University. The doubleheader will be played in Vienna, West Virginia and begin at 11 am.