AKRON, Ohio -- The Malone University baseball team played their final non-conference game of the regular season on Wednesday. The Pioneers made the short drive north to take on the NCAA Division I University of Akron Zips. 

The Pioneers (12-16, 6-14 G-MAC) never trailed. Malone scored the first four runs of the game unanswered, and blanked the Zips (9-17, 3-13 MAC) over the final five innings to pick up an 11-5 win. 

Game Highlights
The Pioneers went in order in the top of the 1st, and freshman Cooper Davies toed the rubber for his sixth start of the season. He worked around a leadoff single, getting a double play to help retire the side in the bottom half of the inning. 

In the top of the 2nd the Malone offense came to life. Joe Watts led off the inning with his team-leading fifth homerun of the season. After a Stone King single, JC Philippi sent a ball over the left field fence for his first homer of the season to put the Pioneers up 3-0. 

After another scoreless inning from Davies in the 2nd, Malone put up another run in the top of the 3rd. Tyson Gingerich led off with a walk, and then promptly stole both second and third base. Jake Aleman came through with a sacrifice fly to give MU a 4-0 lead. 

The Zips broke through for their first run of the game in the bottom half, but the Pioneers really opened things up in the top of the 4th inning. 

Malone loaded the bases on a walk by King and back-to-back singles by Philippi and Evan Balzano. In the very next at bat Andrew Hanna laid down a bunt that Akron misplayed, allowing King to score. Philippi then came in on a wild pitch, and Balzano and Hanna scored on another UA error. 

All told the Pioneers plated four runs on two hits and the two Akron errors to take an 8-1 lead. 

The Zips responded with three runs of their own in their half of the 4th, but 8-4 was as close as they would get the rest of the afternoon. 

Philippi picked up another RBI in the 5th, and Aleman hit a RBI double in the 6th to put Malone ahead 10-4. 

Clyde Yoder, who entered from the bullpen in the 5th, was able to scatter eight hits and keep the Zips off the scoreboard.

The Pioneers got one more insurance run in the 9th on an Andrew Hanna RBI single. Akron got that run back, but Clay Cooper struck out the final batter of the game to secure the 11-5 victory.

PIONEER POINTS

• Today's win for Malone is their first over Akron since a 13-12 victory back in May of 2006. The Pioneers are now 14-22-1 all-time against the Zips. 

• Clyde Yoder tossed 4.2 innings of relief to pick up his third win of the season. It was his longest outing since going 4.0 innings against West Liberty back on March 3.

• The homerun by Philippi makes him the fourth different player to leave the yard for Malone this season. Additionally, his three-RBI day gives him 11 on the season. There are now six Pioneers who have double-digit RBI totals this year.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Pioneers have this weekend off. Malone picks the season back up with a four-game G-MAC series on April 23 and 24. It will be the final chance to catch the Pioneers at home in 2021. The entire series will be played at Louisville High School.