CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University softball team is set for their final home weekend of the regular season as the Pioneers take on Ursuline College on Friday, April 16 and Lake Erie College on Saturday, April 17. Saturday will also mark Senior Day for the lone graduate in the class of 2021 on the roster: Bailey Byers. Byers will be honored prior to Saturday's game beginning at 12 pm.
 
GAME INFORMATION:
Friday, April 16
Malone Pioneers (14-7-1, 8-6 G-MAC) vs Ursuline Arrows (5-15, 5-3 G-MAC)
Pioneer Softball Field – Canton, OH (3/5 DH)
Live Video/Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/malone/
 
Saturday, April 17 (Senior Day)
Malone Pioneers (14-7-1, 8-6 G-MAC) vs Lake Erie Storm (8-23, 3-7 G-MAC)
Pioneer Softball Field – Canton, OH (12/2 DH)
Live Video/Stats: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/malone/
 
SOFTBALL SERIES HISTORY:
Malone has been dominant in the all-time series versus Ursuline, leading 24 wins to seven. The Pioneers swept the Arrows in a pair of one-run games in 2019, 4-3 and 3-2. Malone has won five of the last six games against Ursuline.
 
Against the Lake Erie Storm, Malone softball is 5-11. The season series was split in 2019 with Malone winning game one 6-5 and the Storm taking the second game of the doubleheader 14-10.
 
MALONE PIONEERS TEAM NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
Most recently, the Pioneers split Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) doubleheaders with Ohio Dominican and Hillsdale, both of which are ahead of Malone in the conference standings. The Pioneers are currently seventh, but can move up with wins this weekend, especially against Ursuline who occupies the third seed.
 
Bailey Byers was recently named G-MAC Softball Position Player of the Week and has continued to rake at the plate early in this week. In her last six games, Byers is batting .571 (12-for-21) with six homeruns, one double and three walks. With her red hot hitting performances, Byers has upped her average to .493 on the season. That is on pace to break Dinah Garrott's single-season record (.472).
 
Another school record that could fall this weekend is the career strikeouts title. Kelsey Byers is 28 K's away from becoming Malone's all-time leading strikeout artist. This season, Byers has struck out 143 in 108.0 innings pitched. The junior is 14-5 in the circle with a 1.88 earned run average, has 13 complete games and four shutouts. Batters are hitting just .227 off Byers overall.
 
Joining Byers towards the top of the G-MAC hitting charts are Lauren Bennett (.395), Lexi Betz (.385), Mikayla Kesel (.364) and April Howser (.359). The Pioneers have five of the top 15 hitters conference-wide in the lineup based on batting average. Erika Johnson and Elizabeth Dyke are nearing the .350 plateau and could get there with a hot weekend in the box against the Arrows and Storm.
 
URSULINE ARROWS TEAM NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
Ursuline has struggled a little bit this season with a 5-13 overall record, but all five wins have come in conference, so they are third in the G-MAC standings if the season ended today.
 
The Arrows most recently lost to West Liberty in a non-conference doubleheader, but have won five of their last six games in the G-MAC. As a team, Ursuline has a .261 batting average and a 5.70 team earned run average.
 
Jovanna Herrera and Alyssa Baratta are Ursuline's leading hitters. Herrera has a team-high .344 batting average, with 14 runs scored, four RBIs and four doubles. She has also reached base 10 times on walks. Baratta is a .339 hitter in 2021 and has driven in the most runs for the Arrows at 13.
 
Nicole Rawlings and Ashlee Zientek lead Ursuline with 10 appearances each. Rawlings has the team's lowest earned run average at 4.40 and Zientek has two complete games in 40 innings pitched.
 
LAKE ERIE STORM TEAM NOTES:
Schedule | Roster | Statistics
 
The Storm have an overall record of 8-23 and are 3-7 in conference play. Lake Erie come into Saturday's games winners of two straight against Ohio Valley and have won three of their last four in the G-MAC.
 
As a team, the Storm struggle to hit the ball consistently. They have the second-lowest team batting average in the conference at .226 in the 2021 campaign. In the circle, Lake Erie holds a team earned run average of 5.61.
 
Chloe Allen leads the Storm with a .330 batting average. Kiya Smith and Leah Buck do the heavy hitting for Lake Erie. Smith has a team-high nine extra base hits and Buck has hit five homeruns for the Storm, the most on the team.
 
Grace Hammer has made 16 starts in the circle with 100 innings pitched, 13 complete games, two shutouts, one save, 99 strikeouts and a 3.92 earned run average.