CEDARVILLE, Ohio - The Malone University baseball team earned a series split with Cedarville University on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets took game one 7-0, but the Pioneers put up four runs in the top of the ninth in game two to earn an 8-4 victory in the second game of the day and fourth of the series.
 
Following the 2-2 weekend, Malone is now 19-20 and 8-16 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. Cedarville moves to 16-24 on the season and 10-14 inside the conference.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
Four runs for the home team in the bottom of the first put the Pioneers in an early hole. Malone had traffic on the basepaths in every inning, but three double plays helped to thwart any effort the team made to pickup momentum.
 
A solo homerun by the Yellow Jackets in the fourth extended their lead to 5-0 and the opponents would score two more in the fifth with a two-out, two-run single. The 7-0 final score would be recorded after a 6-4-3 double play ended the game in the seventh.
 
The Pioneers recorded six hits despite failing to score a run. Doran Mast was 2-for-3 at the dish. Ashton Snyder (1-5) made the start and allowed six runs in four innings. Jackson Schwalbach and Aidan Jordan each struck out two batters in their inning of relief work.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Pioneers struck first in game two with three runs in the top of the first. Reilly Tyna plated two with a double to right and Zach Root hit into an error that scored an additional run. A pair of hits for Cedarville in the bottom half of the frame made it 3-1.
 
A wild pitch in the third scored Ethan Petak after he hit a triple earlier in the inning. A flurry of mistakes defensively in the bottom half of the inning tied the contest back up at 4-4. The offenses would settle from there and both sides struggled to even get a runner into scoring position until the ninth.
 
Colin Coblentz started the final inning with a double and Mast and Shane Coblentz loaded the bases with walks. Tyna delivered once again with runners in scoring position with a two-run single up the middle to go up 6-4. An error by the Yellow Jackets cost the team two more runs and the Pioneers took an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Jackson Schwalbach (2-1) was able to work around some traffic to secure the win.
 
Tyna's day was finalized at 2-for-3 with two walks and four RBIs. Colin Coblentz had a multi-hit game as well at 2-for-4. Landon Homan threw five shutout innings from the bullpen and fanned four.
 
UP NEXT:
Malone will compete in a neutral site game at 7 17 Credit Union Park, the home of the Akron RubberDucks, on Tuesday, April 21 at 10:30 A.M. That game is a non-conference affair against Clarion University.