HILLSDALE, Mich. – The Malone University softball team bounced back from a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) shutout loss at Hillsdale College for a six-inning victory in game two. The Pioneers (21-15, 7-11 G-MAC) were defeated 3-0 in game one but came alive for a 13-3 win in game two over the Chargers (29-16, 15-5 G-MAC).
GAME ONE RECAP:
Mia Rose was twirling a gem until the fourth inning when Hillsdale broke through for the game's first runs with three consecutive two-out hits. The 2-0 advantage would grow one more with a lead-off homerun for the Chargers in the sixth inning.
A pair of singles by
Amber Miller and
Faith Yoho bookended a walk by
Marlee Pireu in the sixth, but a fielder's choice and strikeout ended the scoring threat and left the potential tying run stranded on base. The offense was never able to get the zero off the board against one of the conference's best pitchers in the 3-0 loss.
Rose (8-10) pitched all six innings and struck out three batters. Each of the first four hitters in the Malone lineup got on base, three of which on hits (Miller, Rose, Yoho).
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Pioneer bats awoke from their slumber in game two for 13 runs on 12 hits, five of those for extra bases. It started in the top of the first when
Sidney Conti went yard for a three-run homerun. Hillsdale creeped their way back into the game with two runs in the second and the opponents eventually tied the game with a run in the fourth at 3-3.
A six-run top of the fifth for Malone opened the game wide open.
Jessie Crookston and Pireu had back-to-back doubles that each drove in a run before Conti stepped to the plate with the bases loaded yet again later in the inning. She would repeat her performance from her first at-bat for a grand slam to increase the lead to 9-3.
Starting pitcher
Allie Weilnau kept the Charger bats quiet the next time up with a key double play ball rolled by
Aricka Young and
Madi Pukansky up the middle. For good measure, the Pioneers added four more runs to their total in the sixth to set up the mercy-rule triumph. Yoho had a two-run double to left center while
Ella Collinsworth and Young drove in runs later in the frame as well. The Chargers went down in order in the sixth to secure the 13-3 win.
Conti tied her career-high with seven RBIs in the game with a 2-for-3 effort. She came around to score three times. Conti, Crookston, Yoho and Young all had multi-hit games in the second contest of a twinbill. Rose reached base three total times with one hit and two walks. In the circle, Weilnau (13-5) got the win with six innings of work and three strikeouts.
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers return home to face Lake Erie College in their next games.
