CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University softball team honored the senior class members of the team prior to the start of their Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) doubleheader versus Tiffin University on Saturday.
Ella Collinsworth and
Allie Weilnau were celebrated for their efforts in a Pioneer uniform.
Unfortunately, Malone (23-17, 9-13 G-MAC) came up short in both games against #18 Tiffin (39-11, 21-3 G-MAC) and the Dragons claimed the regular season title in the conference. Tiffin pulled away for a 9-1 victory in the opening game and needed nine innings to defeat the Pioneers 6-2 in game two.
GAME ONE RECAP:
In inning two,
Mia Rose was able to work out of a jam with a pair of runners in scoring position. In the bottom half of the inning, Collinsworth delivered an RBI single to score
Sidney Conti from third to give Malone the lead 1-0.
That advantage would last until the fifth inning when the Dragons turned on the burners offensively. The nationally-ranked Tiffin squad plated five runs on five hits and a walk in the inning to put themselves in front. A three-run homerun was the highlight of the frame for Tiffin. The Dragons added insurance in the seventh with four more runs in the 9-1 game.
Lacie Quarles was the only batter for the Pioneers to record multiple hits at 2-for-3. Rose (9-11) pitched all seven innings in the circle and struck out four.
GAME TWO RECAP:
A solo homerun for Tiffin put the visitors in front in the second inning of game two, but Malone fought back for two runs in the fourth.
Aricka Young singled to left to score two and give the Pioneers a 2-1 lead.
Marlee Pireu and Conti were on base after a single and double earlier in the inning.
Three two-out hits for the Dragons resulted in the game-tying run for Tiffin in the fifth, but the pitcher Weilnau silenced the offense in regulation from there to give her team a chance. Late in the game, the Malone hitters got overly anxious and struck out in key situations to halt momentum.
It was in the top of the ninth where the Dragons were able to break through for another crooked inning, this one the backbreaker for the Pioneers. All told, four runs scored on four hits and a walk came across for Tiffin and they held that edge in the bottom of the ninth to win the G-MAC regular season title.
Young had two of the team's five total hits in game two and drove in both runs. Weilnau struck out seven batters in the game.
UP NEXT:
Malone concludes the regular season with two games against the University of Findlay at home on Sunday, April 27 beginning at 1:00 P.M. The Pioneers will need to win at least one of the two games to clinch a spot in the G-MAC Tournament.
