NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC – The Malone University softball team won its third and fourth straight games on Friday in a doubleheader sweep of Mississippi University for Women. The Pioneers took game one 5-0 following another dominant performance in the circle from Kelsey Byers. Byers tied her career-best with 16 strikeouts that she set earlier in the week in a complete game shutout of the Owls. Game two was won 6-3 in comeback fashion for Malone.
 
The Pioneers are 6-1-1 after their first week of competition in the 2021 season. The Owls of Mississippi University for Women fall to 8-8.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
Lexi Byers hit a two-out RBI double to score Bailey Byers in the bottom of the first inning to give pitcher Kelsey Byers an early lead. Byers struck out the side in the top of the second after securing two K's in the first.
 
Malone added a second run from an Owl error in the bottom of the third. Byers picked up right where she left off in the fourth by sending three more hitters from the box to the dugout via the strikeout.
 
A leadoff single by Mackenzie Frantz led to an insurance run for the Pioneers in the fourth when Amber Burick brought her home with an infield single. Later in the frame, an error allowed two more runs to score to make it 5-0.
 
Byers sat down the side once again in the fifth to give her double-digit strikeouts for the third game this year. Erika Johnson and April Howser hit back-to-back singles in the sixth, but the Owls kept Malone in check going into the final inning. Kelsey Byers added two more K's to her ledger in the seventh to complete the 5-0 shutout win and allowed just one hit.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The first three innings were without runs scored in the endcap of Malone's spring trip. The Pioneers loaded the bases in the second with a double from April Howser, single by Lauren Bennett and a walk drawn by Mackenzie Frantz, but were unable to score.
 
Malone brought the first run of the game across in the top of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly by Frantz.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Mississippi University for Women responded with the game-tying run on a two-out bloop single.
 
A pair of walks from Howser and Bennett were left stranded in the sixth and the Owls put two runs on the board in the bottom half of the inning.
 
In the final inning, Emily Betts hit a leadoff single and consecutive walks by Bailey Byers and Erika Johnson loaded the bases with nobody out. The Owls retired two and were in position to win the game, but a costly error allowed two runs to score and tie the game. Pinch hitter Emily Spada was hit by a pitch to load the bases up once again, and Lauren Bennett knocked a single into right field to drive in all three on board.
 
Kelsey Byers re-entered the circle in the seventh to close the game out in a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
 
PIONEER POINTS:

• Kelsey Byers erased 26 total hitters: 16 in the first game and 10 in six innings of work in game two. Byers has already accumulated 69 strikeouts in 34 innings of work this season with a 6-0 record after picking up two victories today.
• Lauren Bennett was 3-for-4 with two walks and three RBIs. Bennett brought home the go-ahead runs home in the second game.
• April Howser was 3-for-6 this afternoon with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored with a walk. She reached base in all four plate appearances in game two.
• At the top of the order, Bailey Byers was 3-for-4 in game one and Erika Johnson 2-for-3. They each came across to score twice in the 5-0 win.
• Lexi Betz drove in three runs and is tied with Byers with a team-high nine.

 
UP NEXT:
Malone hosts Point Park in a home non-conference doubleheader on March 16 at 3 pm.