PEPPER PIKE, Ohio - In their final Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) road test of the season, the Malone University softball team (24-16, 9-11 G-MAC) were defeated twice by the Ursuline College Arrows (18-22, 8-12 G-MAC) 3-2 in game one and 5-2 in game two.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
Marlee Pireu singled in the first inning but was left stranded and that would be the lone semblance of offense for Malone until the late innings. Ursuline claimed a 1-0 lead with three consecutive singles in the third inning.
 
An error in the sixth set up the Pioneers to take the lead. Halyn Cawthorne was the beneficiary of the miscue, followed by a sacrifice bunt by Morgan Cantrell and an infield single off the bat of Pireu. Pireu was able to take second with her speed and Jessie Crookston scored them both with a two-run single.
 
Down to their last swings, the Arrows were able to record two singles and a sacrifice bunt put the potential winning run in scoring position. Ursuline was able to knock a double into center field to plate two and secure the 3-2 win in walk-off fashion.
 
Pireu was 2-for-3 at the plate and the other hits in the game came from Crookston and Amber Miller. Mia Rose (13-9) threw 6.1 innings in the circle and struck out two.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The second inning of game two was eventful with all seven runs in the contest scored in that frame. Sidney Conti and Miller singled earlier in the inning and Madi Pukansky roped a two-run double to left to take a 2-0 lead.
 
Ursuline responded with a five-spot in the bottom half of the inning that started with a hit by pitch and all told ended after five base hits in the inning. Malone had hits in the third and fourth innings, but both came with two outs and the team was unable to manufacture a run from them. The best opportunity to score came in the sixth when the Pioneers loaded the bases on a walk, error and hit by pitch, but once again left the runners stranded.
 
Crookston and Rose had a hit each in the seventh and final inning, but the score of 5-2 remained after three outs. Rose reached base three times in the loss with two hits and a walk and Crookston was 2-for-4. Masyn Baker (7-4) threw five innings and fanned six.
 
UP NEXT:
The senior class of Malone softball will be honored at the team's next doubleheader at home versus Ohio Dominican University. The opening game begins at 11:00 A.M.