WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The Malone University baseball team split their games in Florida on Friday afternoon with a 9-8 victory in 11 innings over Point Park University and a 29-4 loss against Saint Michael's College out of Vermont. The Pioneers are now 9-2 overall while Point Park is 4-2 on the season and Saint Michael's is 1-6.
 
MALONE vs POINT PARK RECAP:
Point Park plated four runs in the bottom of the second to start the scoring and eventually widened the gap to 8-2 through three innings. A two-run double off the bat of Shane Coblentz was the source of the Malone offense. Starting pitcher Finn Schmitt allowed just two hits, but four walks and four hit batsmen allowed for eight to come across on his ledger.
 
Malone almost got back to even in the top of the fourth when they batted around for five runs in the frame. Ethan Petak had an RBI single and sacrifice flies from Vincent Alvarez and Rafe Bonifay cut the gap down to 8-5. Zach Root had the big two out hit with a double that scored Robert Gumino and Colin Coblentz. It was just one inning later where back-to-back doubles from Alvarez and Bonifay made it 8-8.
 
The bullpen was stupendous for Malone with a combined nine innings of shutout ball from Aydan Manning, Jackson Schwalbach and Shane Coblentz. They got Malone all the way through the 11th inning without allowing a run and setup Colin Coblentz for a big fly in the top of the 11th to secure the 9-8 win. Shane Coblentz (2-0) went longer than any of the pitchers in the game with 4.0 complete innings and a team-high six strikeouts.
 
MALONE vs SAINT MICHAEL'S RECAP:
Game two of the day for the Pioneers started strong with a three-run homerun by Petak in the bottom of the first inning. The bottom would ultimately fall out for the team in the second inning when the Purple Knights broke a school record with 20 runs.
 
Even in a deep hole, Malone was able to scratch across a run late via a Chris Munoz double. However, the bats were unable to keep the team from a run-rule loss in seven innings. Munoz was able to reach base in all four plate appearances with walks in each of his first three trips to the batter's box.
 
Ben France (1-1) surrendered seven earned runs, but Pioneer miscues kept the nightmare inning going. Aidan Jordan, Tate Aljancic, Gage Faraguna, Mark Bunch and Cadyn Smith all made appearances on the mound for Malone, with the southpaw Bunch nabbing a team-high three K's.
 
UP NEXT:
The spring break trip continues for the Pioneers on Saturday, March 7 when the team faces Davis & Elkins College at 9:30 A.M.