Canton, OH-- Malone University's baseball team hit the home field for the first time this season, bringing the energy to their home opener today against West Liberty.
Unfortunately, the West Liberty bats were on fire, and their pitching was solid, allowing them to convincingly sweep both games by a wide margin.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Game 1: West Liberty 6 - Malone 0
- Game 2: West Liberty 10 - Malone 2
- Records: Malone University Pioneers (2-4, 0-0 G-MAC) | West Liberty University Hilltoppers (2-2, 0-0 MEC)
- Location: Canton, Ohio | Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium
Game One
Ayden Hall took the mound for the Pioneers in game one, aiming to make an impact from the get-go. He showcased his talent by pitching two solid innings without conceding any runs, displaying confidence and control on the mound.
In the bottom of the first inning, Eric Baum reached base on an error, yet Malone failed to capitalize on the opportunity as Devin Brown's fly out was followed by a double play, stalling their scoring chances. In the following inning, three well-hit balls found their way straight to the fielders, who confidently made the necessary plays to stifle any potential offensive momentum.
Finally, in the third inning West Liberty was able to break through scoring two runs. Noah Mildren kick-started the inning with a leadoff double, sparking hope for the team. His effort paid off as he was brought home on a sacrifice fly, followed shortly after by another run driven in with an RBI single, adding to their momentum.
The Hilltopper pitching stifled Malone for the remainder of the game, limiting them to just five hits. West Liberty capitalized with two runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth, securing a 6-0 victory in game one.
Game Two Malone jumped ahead early on West Liberty in game two, with Anthony Ryan's triple driving in Gavin Shrum to give them a 1-0 lead in the first inning, followed by Clayton Criss's sacrifice fly bringing Ryan home, extending the lead to 2-0.
Pioneer pitcher Mark Bunch held strong until the Hilltopper offense broke through in the third inning, scoring four runs and shifting the momentum of the game. Starting pitcher Bryce Winter delivered a stellar performance, allowing only two hits during his outing, and the bullpen followed suit, effectively shutting down the Pioneer offense.
Malone Struggled to get on base, ultimately resulting in a 10-2 loss in game two.
Details
What's Next
Malone will head West to Tuscon, Arizona for their spring break trip. The first game will be on March first and they will play a total of nine games while they are down in Arizona.
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