COCOA BEACH, Fla. - The Malone University softball team moved to 9-5 overall with a sweep on the final day of their Florida trip. The Pioneers defeated D'Youville University (7-6) by a score of 4-3 and jumped all over Northern State University (6-4) in a run-rule victory 10-1.
 
MALONE vs D'YOUVILLE RECAP:
After Masyn Baker threw a scoreless first, Malone struck first in the bottom half of the inning to go up 2-0. Marlee Pireu tripled in her first at-bat and Morgan Cantrell drove her in with an RBI single. She moved around the diamond and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Jessie Crookston.
 
The lead would be short-lived as an RBI single and sacrifice fly themselves evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the second. D'Youville would take a one-run lead in the third with a two-out run-scoring single. The top of the Pioneer order was once again fruitful in the bottom of the third with singles by Pireu and Cantrell to set the table for the number three hitter Mia Rose to drive in the game-tying run.
 
The 3-3 score would remain until the bottom of the fifth. Rose reached on an infield single and she was lifted for a pinch runner in Ava Stephens. Crookston secured her second RBI of the day and plated the go-ahead run with a single to center field.
 
Baker (3-1) made it through five innings and put herself in line for the pitching win. The team turned the ball over to Summer McCaw to record the final six outs and she did just that for her second save of the year. McCaw allowed just one walk in the top of the seventh in the 4-2 win. At the plate, Pireu and Cantrell were both 2-for-3.
 
MALONE vs NORTHERN STATE RECAP:
Both teams failed to score in the first inning and to lead off the second, Crookston reached on an error and came around to score on a misplay as well. Malone was only able to plate one in the second, but a mammoth third inning put the Pioneers in front by ten.
 
A bases loaded triple off the bat of Amber Miller, a grand slam by Pireu and a two-run double from Crookston were the back-breaking hits by Malone to extend their lead. The Wolves got one run back with a trifecta of singles, but it was not enough to extend the game passed the required five innings.
 
The Pioneers scored ten runs on just six hits, all by different student-athletes. Rose got the pitching win (4-3) with a complete game and four strikeouts and reached base in all four plate appearances with three walks. Pireu now leads the team in homeruns with two and is tied for the most RBIs with nine after tallying four in the win.
 
UP NEXT:
Upon their return to the Buckeye State, Malone will open up Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play at the University of Findlay on March 20. The doubleheader kicks off at 2:00 P.M.