NORTH CANTON, Ohio – On Thursday, the Malone University baseball team made the trek to Walsh University to face the Cavaliers in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) competition. The Pioneers were downed 9-5 in game one and 2-1 in game two. The team falls to 14-24 overall and 5-17 inside the league while Walsh is 12-22 and 10-11 in conference play.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
The Cavaliers diversified four runs across the first five innings of game one to jump out to an early lead. A three-run homerun for Walsh bested a solo homerun hit by Anthony Ryan to make the score 7-1 Cavaliers through six innings.
 
Jake Barker had three RBIs in the seventh and eighth innings as well as a run-scoring double by Jordan Stevens to cut into the Walsh lead. Four runs for the Pioneers in the late innings made it 7-5, but the home squad added insurance in the bottom of the eighth to make it 9-5. A ninth-inning walk by Rafe Bonifay was not enough to spark a rally in the loss.
 
Barker was 5-for-5 at the plate in game one with a team-high three RBIs. Allen Diaz was also credited with a multi-hit game at 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Ryan and Stevens had two hits each. Jackson Phelps (4-3) surrendered three runs on four hits and four walks, but had the longest outing of the game for Malone at four innings pitched. TJ Curry had three strikeouts in his relief appearance.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first gave the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead in game two. Speed on the basepaths allowed Walsh to take a 2-0 lead without recording a hit in the third.
 
That 2-0 advantage would last all the way until the ninth inning. The Pioneers finally were able to get some traction with a hit by pitch on Ryan and a single from Anthony Bartiromo to start the final frame. A double play scored a run, but removed the potential tying run as Malone ultimately came up short, 2-1.
 
Diaz and Bartiromo were 2-for-3. Devin Norton (1-5) allowed just one hit and struck out eight, but two earned runs were enough to receive the loss. Allen Laytart had a scoreless inning out of the Pioneer bullpen.
 
UP NEXT:
Malone gets the Easter weekend off before making a return trip to North Canton to face Walsh in games three and four of the series on Tuesday, April 22 beginning at 1:00 P.M.