CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University baseball team battled the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown as well as the brutal cold elements on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers split the doubleheader with a 5-2 loss in game one and a 2-0 victory in the second contest. Malone is now 4-4 on the year and the Mountain Cats are 2-7.
GAME ONE RECAP:
A three-spot in the top of the first for Johnstown gave the Mountain Cats a lead they would not relinquish. A two-run triple and a sacrifice fly were how the opponents crossed the plate. From there, starting pitcher
Finn Schmitt settled down and rolled zeros until the fourth inning.
A throwing error allowed for another Mountain Cat run, this one unearned. To get out of a bases loaded jam, shortstop
Eric Baum made a great play defensively to nab a runner at third.
Jordan Stevens broke up the opposing perfect game in the bottom of the fifth with a single up the middle and
Anthony Bartiromo scored him with a two-out RBI single to make it 4-1. Johnstown answered with a run of their own in the top of the sixth to keep the lead at four.
Malone loaded the bases in the sixth, but were unable to complete the two-out rally with the tying run at the plate.
Allen Diaz delivered an RBI single in the seventh, but it was not enough in the 5-2 loss.
Bartiromo was the only man with multiple hits in the Pioneer lineup. On the mound, Schmitt (0-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits and struck out a team-high three.
Caesen Sutton and
Nate Plack had scoreless innings of relief work.
GAME TWO RECAP:
Starting pitcher
Jacob Rollyson pitched a complete game shutout in game two for Malone and settled in nicely after he allowed lead-off hits in four of the seven innings. In total, the junior fanned eight batters and did not walk anyone.
The Pioneers scored both runs in the bottom of the third when seven batters came to the plate in the inning.
Charlie Roberts and
Robert Gumino led off the inning with a walk and a bunt single. Then, Diaz played a ball through the infield nicely on a hit and run to take a 1-0 lead.
Reilly Tyna would do the same to go up 2-0.
The tying or go ahead run came to the plate in all four of the remaining innings, but Rollyson (1-0) was able to work around traffic nicely to secure the Malone win. Diaz (3-for-3) and Gumino (2-for-2) did not get out and had five of the team's six total hits.
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers begin their spring break trip in Florida, starting with a matchup against West Virginia Wesleyan College on Thursday, March 6 at 11:00 A.M.
