The Malone University softball team defeated Walsh University in two games on Saturday. The Pioneers took the first game 3-2 and won game two 6-2. The doubleheader sweep clinched a Great Midwest Athletic Conference postseason berth for the Pioneers as Malone and head coach Kathryn Bzdafka will return to G-MAC Tournament for the second time in the last three years.
 
Malone also achieved its first 20-win season since 2002 when the team went 23-17. They head into postseason play with a record of 21-15, 13-11 in the G-MAC. After the losses, Walsh finishes their season at 9-37, 5-19 in conference play.
 
The three Pioneer seniors, Nicole Ferrara, Caley Ritts and Serena Tucciarelli were honored after the conclusion of game two for their many accomplishments over the course of their careers.
 

 
Freshman pitcher Kelsey Byers gained both wins in the circle on Saturday and broke the school record for most wins in a season. She has a record of 18-7 this year and will look to have continued success in the conference tournament next week.  In addition to the wins record, Byers also surpassed Malone's single-season record for strikeouts. On the day, the freshman recorded 20 strikeouts.  Both the wins and strikeouts records were held by Ann Peterson, who achieved 16 wins and 157 strikeouts in 1998. Byers' strikeout to end the sixth inning in game two gave her 158 punch outs in 2019.
 
Game One Recap:
Runs were hard to come by as both pitchers were dealing in the circle. Kelsey Byers struck out the side in the first inning and through three innings, Byers had rung up six.
 
In the top of the fourth, Malone had a trio of hits that plated a run. Bailey Byers singled up the middle (one of four hits for her in the game) to start the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by April Howser put her in scoring position, senior Serena Tucciarelli hit a single to advance Byers to third and Emily Betts beat out a ball in between the pitcher and second baseman to bring home Byers.
 
Kelsey Byers did a good job at keeping the ball on the ground. She forced six groundouts, including three of them in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Walsh had a few baserunners in the fifth, but a critical double play by the Pioneers shut down the Cavaliers' offensive threat.
 
With a 1-0 lead in the sixth, Serena Tucciarelli drew a walk and advanced to second off a sacrifice bunt by Morgan Sampsel. A single by senior Caley Ritts brought Tucciarelli home to make it 2-0 Malone.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Walsh shortstop, Jesse Rock, hit a homerun over the left field fence to tie the game at 2.
 
Malone battled back in the top of the seventh. Madison Corrick was hit by a pitch, stole second, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Bailey Byers did damage again by driving her home with her fourth single up the middle and gave the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.
 
Kelsey Byers slammed the door in the seventh with two strikeouts to secure the victory. She had 11 in the game.
 
Game Two Recap:
Pitcher Kelsey Byers stepped into the circle for game two and picked up right where she left off in game one by striking out the side in the first again. She went on a run of seven consecutive strikeouts as she went through the lineup for the first time in the game.
 
In the third, both teams took the zeros off the scoreboard. After senior Nicole Ferrara drew a walk, Madison Corrick hit a double to the fence to drive her in. Bailey Byers reached via an error to bring Corrick across and make it 2-0. Walsh fought right back in the bottom with a pair of singles with runners on to tie the game at two.
 
Malone took the lead back in the fourth, after seniors Caley Ritts and Nicole Ferrara drove in a run apiece.
 
For the third consecutive inning, Malone brought two across the plate in the fifth. Bailey Byers hit a single to lead off the inning, followed by an April Howser base on balls. Serena Tucciarelli hit a single, but Byers was cut down at the plate. However, Kelsey Byers stepped to the dish and drove in Howser and Tucciarelli with a long double to the outfield to make the score 6-2.
 
Walsh got a runner to scoring position in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but failed to score the rest of the game.
 
Kelsey Byers threw another complete game, her 23rd of the season, and picked up her 18th win.
 
Totals:
- Kelsey Byers pitched 14 innings with 20 total strikeouts and two wins. She scattered 12 hits and four earned runs over the two games. At the plate, Byers went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
- Bailey Byers batted 5-for-8 with four hits in game one, with two RBIs and a run scored.
- Madison Corrick went 3-for-7 at the dish with an RBI and two runs scored.
- Senior Caley Ritts was 3-for-6 with two runs driven in and drew a walk.
- Senior Serena Tucciarelli scored two runs on a 3-for-7 day.
- Senior Nicole Ferrara had an RBI and run scored.
 
Up Next:
The Pioneers await the final seeding in the G-MAC Tournament. They will play at a time TBD on Thursday.  The tournament will be held May 2-4 at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.