The Malone University softball team continued play on Thursday morning in Jan Phyl Village, Florida. Malone lost their first game after a come-from-behind effort by Upper Iowa University 5-4 and dropped their second game of the doubleheader 7-2 to Wayne State College (NE).
 
The Pioneers hold a record of 1-7 heading into the final day of the PFX Spring Games. Upper Iowa is 6-10 after the game versus Malone and is 5-4 in the PFX Spring Games. Wayne State (NE) is 10-13 in 2020 and finish the PFX Spring Games with a 6-2 record.
 
Malone vs Upper Iowa Recap:
Madison Corrick continued to rake at the plate by recording a single to lead off the game. She stole second and scored on a Bailey Byers single up the middle. Byers followed suit by stealing second base and coming home on an RBI double from April Howser to give Malone a 2-0 lead. Kelsey Byers tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame.
 
In the second, the Pioneers would add two more runs. Kellsea Morrison led off the inning with a single and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Bennett. Megan Labut knocked her first career homerun with a bomb to left field to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
Upper Iowa secured their first baserunner of the game with a leadoff double in the third. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runner to third and she was brought home on a single to left field. In the fourth, the Peacocks put another runner in scoring position and an RBI single with two outs made it 4-2 Malone.
 
After registering a pair of groundouts to second basemen Lauren Bennett, Upper Iowa went on a momentum-shifting two out rally in the bottom of the fifth. Back-to-back singles and a three-run homerun to center field by Katie Crogan gave the Peacocks a 5-4 lead.
 
Malone made some noise in the top of the seventh with their backs against the wall. With two outs, Erika Johnson hit one back up the middle for a base hit. Bailey Byers poked a single through the right side to place the tying run on third base and the winning run on first. April Howser smoked a line drive into centerfield, but it was right at the defensive player and Upper Iowa held on to win 5-4.
 
Bailey Byers was 3-for-4 in game number one with an RBI and Kellsea Morrison batted 2-for-3. Kelsey Byers pitched a complete game (six innings).
 
Malone vs Wayne State (NE) Recap:
Wayne State plated a pair of runs in the top of the first with a bases loaded, two RBI single to right center field. A pick-off by catcher Bailey Byers to third base ended the inning and left two other runners on base.
 
A two-out double in the top of the third made it 3-0 Wildcats. A bases loaded single drove in two more runs in the fourth and an error allowed one more to come across in the fourth to make it 6-0.
 
The first hit of the game for Malone came in the bottom of the seventh inning when Bailey Byers put a single through the right side to start the inning. Two batters later, Morgan Sampsel hit her first career homerun as well to bring in two runs for the Pioneers.
 
Layla Woolf drew two walks in the game and Morgan Wilhelm reached base via the walk for her first career appearance on the basepaths. Jensen Miller pitched three innings and Samantha Fruchey and Elizabeth Dyke threw two innings each in relief.