CANTON -- The Malone University baseball team played their first Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) games of the season when they hosted the University of Findlay at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

Sunday's doubleheader also served as the home opener for the Pioneers. 

Malone (9-8, 1-1 G-MAC) got a walk-off single to take game one 5-4. The Oilers (7-14, 3-3 G-MAC) responded with an 8-6 win in the second game. 

Game 1 Highlights
Findlay's offense put some pressure on Malone's defense in the top of the first inning. The Oilers came through with two runs on two hits and three MU errors to take an early 2-0 lead. 

The Pioneers answered right back in their half of the inning. Tyson Gingerich led off with a walk. Later on in the inning he came in to score on a Findlay throwing error to make it a 2-1 game. 

At that point the game settled into a bit of a pitcher's duel. Michael Cook did an excellent job of keeping Findlay's bats off balance, but unfortunately the Oiler pitching staff matched his effort. 

MU's offense broke through again in the bottom of the fifth inning. Eric Baum led off the inning with a double into right field. Two batters later JT Tonelli scored Baum on his RBI groundout to tie the game. 

Findlay grabbed a 3-2 lead with a RBI single in the top of the seventh, but Malone responded in the bottom half of the inning. 

The Pioneers loaded the bases with three consecutive singles by Eric Baum, Andrew Hanna, and Tyson Gingerich. JT Tonelli was next up for Malone. Catcher's interference allowed him to reach the base safely and brought home Baum to tie the game at 3-3. 

A couple of batters, and a UF pitching change later, Cameron Martin's single brought home Hanna to put Malone up 4-3. 

Unfortunately the Oilers fought back and tied the game on another MU error in the top of the eighth. 

The game remained deadlocked headed into the bottom of the ninth inning. 

JC Philippi doubled to lead off the inning. After he advanced to third base on a passed ball, another Cameron Martin single brought him home to give the Pioneers a 5-4 walk-off win.

Game 2 Highlights
After starting pitcher Chase Jessee retired the Oilers in order to start the second game, Malone's offense picked up right where they left off in game one. 

Tyson Gingerich led off with a walk. He stole second base, and later came around to score on a Cameron Martin RBI single. 

Findlay plated two runs of their own in the top of the second, but MU answered right back. 

With one out in the bottom of the second inning Clayton Criss was hit by a pitch. He was brought home on Tyson Gingerich's RBI single to tie the game at 2-2. 

Jessee posted another zero in the top of the third, and Malone's bats really went to work in their half of the inning. 

Evan Balzano's one-out single scored Cameron Martin, who had walked earlier in the inning. Boston Black also singled home Jake Aleman in the inning to give Malone a 4-2 advantage. 

Unfortunately Findlay broke through for three runs in the top of the fifth, and three more in the top of the sixth to take an 8-4 lead. 

Evan Swan laced a two-RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Pioneers could not complete the comeback as UF held on for the 8-6 win.

PIONEER POINTS

• Cameron Martin and Tyson Gingerich each had three hits in the doubleheader to lead Malone's offense. Martin finished with three RBIs on the afternoon to push his season total out to a team-leading 16.
• As a team the Pioneers stole seven total bases on the day. They lead the G-MAC with 39 stolen bases on the season.
• Despite the no-decision in the opener, Michael Cook added four more strikeouts to his team-leading total of 24. 
• Tyler Jackson pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the opener to earn his second win of the season.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The two teams return to Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium tomorrow morning to wrap up the season series with another doubleheader. 

First pitch in game one is set for 9:00 a.m.