COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) opener for the Malone University softball team, the Pioneers fell in a doubleheader at Ohio Dominican University. Malone dropped game one 3-1 and game two 2-1 to fall to 12-4 overall (0-2 G-MAC). The Panthers have a 12-14 overall record and are 2-0 in the league.
GAME ONE RECAP:
Mia Rose was able to work her way out of a bases loaded jam in the first, but she was not so fortunate in the second or third innings. A two-run double in the second and three consecutive singles in the third made it 3-0 Panthers.
Just as she did in the most recent series against Point Park University, Rose helped her own cause offensively with a solo homerun in the top of the fourth to cut into the Panther lead.
Amber Miller singled in the fifth, but that would conclude the offensive impact for the Pioneers in the loss.
Rose (5-3) pitched all six innings and struck out two opposing hitters.
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Pioneers were able to get the lead-off man on base in both the first and second innings with singles by Miller and
Sidney Conti, but were unable to work the baserunners around for runs. The starting pitcher
Allie Weilnau danced around some traffic on the basepaths from Ohio Dominican, but kept the zero on the board through four innings.
In the top of the fifth, a leadoff single by
Marlee Pireu finally resulted in a run scored.
Ella Collinsworth moved her over with a sacrifice bunt and
Aricka Young scored Pireu with an RBI single. The lead would not last long as the Panthers used their speed in the bottom half of the inning to score two runs on one hit and an error. Collinsworth doubled in the seventh to put herself in scoring position as the tying run, but Malone could not draw back to even and fell 2-1.
Weilnau (7-1) suffered her first loss in the circle despite allowing just one earned run in six innings. She struck out two in that time. The team's six hits were divided evenly throughout the lineup.
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers return home for a doubleheader versus Kentucky Wesleyan College on Saturday, March 22. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 P.M.