INDIANA, Pennsylvania -- On Sunday afternoon the Malone University baseball team braved the elements and traveled to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for a non-conference doubleheader.

It was Opening Day for the Crimson Hawks (1-1), and they won the first game 5-1. In game two the Pioneers (4-1) responded with a 12-6 victory. 

Game 1 Highlights
IUP's offense got out to a strong start in the 7-inning game. The Crimson Hawks scored a run in the 1st inning, and then broke the game open with four runs in the 2nd. 

The Pioneer offense got on the board in the top of the 3rd inning. Tyson Gingerich led off the inning with a walk. He stole second base, and later came around to score on a passed ball.

Unfortunately for Malone, IUP was able to keep the bats quiet for the rest of the ballgame. Gingerich had a base hit in the 5th, but was left stranded on third base. He also had the only other Pioneer hit of the game, a single in the 7th. 

On the mound for Malone, Clay Cooper pitched three innings in relief and struck out seven batters. He allowed just two hits and no runs. 

Game 2 Highlights
The offense came alive for the Pioneers in the second game. Malone scored first when Joe Crank singled to bring home Gingerich to make it 1-0 Pioneers in the top of the 1st inning. 

IUP got that run back in their half of the 1st inning, but Malone started to pull away in the 2nd. 

Joe Watts singled to leadoff the inning. He later came around to score on a throwing error by the Crimson Hawks. Anthony Sinicropi, who had reached on a walk, also came in to score on the play to give Malone a 3-1 lead.

The Pioneers went on to score two more runs in the inning, thanks in part to three total errors by IUP. JC Philippi capped of the scoring in the inning with a double to bring home Crank and make it 6-1 in favor of Malone. 

The two teams matched each other's run production in the 4th and 5th innings. The Pioneers put up one run in the 4th and three more in the 5th, but the Crimson Hawks answered with the same. 

After five full innings of baseball Malone led 10-5. 

The Pioneers added a pair of insurance runs in the 6th. One coming on a RBI hit-by-pitch from Weston Garman, and another on a bases loaded walk to Gingerich. 

IUP scratched across a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, but Malone's bullpen held them scoreless the rest of the way to wrap up the 12-6 win.

Cooper Davies, Mitch Maurer, and James Kontur all saw time on the mound for the Pioneers. The trio combined for eight strikeouts and just five earned runs allowed. 

Davies pitched the first five innings to pick up his first win of the season. Kontur closed out the final three innings to earn the save.

PIONEER POINTS

• Tyson Gingerich combined to go 5-8 at the plate in the doubleheader. He scored 5 of the team's 13 runs on the afternoon.

• Patience at the plate was key for the Pioneers in the game two win. As a team Malone drew eight walks. All eight of them came from different players in the lineup.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Pioneers will return to Prasco Park for the second time already this season. Malone will play a doubleheader against West Virginia State University. Tuesday's first pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.