The Malone University baseball team suffered a 5-4 loss to Palm Beach Atlantic University Saturday night as the Sailfish scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning before winning on a walk-off walk on the third day of Baseball Week at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The Pioneers drop to 5-4 on the season with their third straight loss.
 
Recap
While Malone collected just three hits during the contest, aggressive base-running and quality starting pitching would give the Pioneers a 4-1 lead.
 
After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers produced their first hit of the game and eventually tied it in the top of the fifth. Second baseman Tyson Gingerich singled to left, stole second, stole third, and then scored on an RBI single from Turner Hill.
 
Malone used a pair of walks and then executed a first-and-third double steal to take 2-1 lead in the sixth as Joe Crank swiped home. Then in the seventh, Malone took advantage of two PBA errors and later scored two runs on a double-suicide squeeze bunt by Joe Watts. Those two RBI were the first as a Pioneer for Watts, a senior transfer from Kent State.
 
A costly Malone error allowed the Sailfish to score a run in the bottom of the eight before they plated three in the ninth. Two walks followed by a one-out bloop double down the left-field line put the tying and go-ahead run in scoring position. A seeing-eye single through the left side of Malone's drawn-in infield tied the game at 4-4 and left the winning run at third base.
 
An intentional walk to load the bases preceded a strikeout which left the Pioneers just an out away from forcing extra innings. A four-pitch walk, however, sent the Sailfish home with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory.
 
Starting pitcher Tommy Walker left with a no-decision after pitching 7.1 innings. He gave up just two runs (one earned) while striking out six. Offensively, Malone drew eight walks and stole six bases, including two each from Gingerich and Crank. Hill added a run and a steal to his RBI single while Jordan Hite added a base hit.
 
Up Next
Malone will next play host Rollins College on Sunday at 1:00 pm.