FLORENCE, Ky. - The Malone University baseball team split its doubleheader against the Thomas More University Saints, losing 9-2 in game one and winning 14-4 in game two. The Pioneers are now 20-22 on the season, while the Saints fall to 16-25. In the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), both Malone and Thomas More stand at 9-17 in conference play.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
The Pioneers opened the game with a quiet first inning at the plate, and the Saints took advantage in the bottom half. Thomas More used a one-out triple and later scored on a wild pitch to gain an early 1-0 lead over Malone. 
 
The Pioneers responded in the top of the second inning with a strong offensive push. Reilly Tyna opened the inning with a double to left center and later advanced to third on a groundout from Zach Root. After Jake Barker worked a walk, Tyna went across home plate on a passed ball to tie the game 1-1. Barker later scored on a sacrifice fly from Rafe Bonifay to extend Malone's lead to 2-1. The Saints answered back in the bottom of the second, tying the game 2-2. 
 
Thomas More began their scoring run at the bottom of the fifth off a wild pitch to extend their lead to 4-2, and later in the sixth off a single and a double play to increase their lead to 6-2 over the Pioneers. 
 
Malone continued their struggle at the plate in the late game, and the Saints capitalized on it with two home runs late for a 9-2 victory over the Pioneers.
 
On the mound, Jackson Phelps (3-4) got the start for Malone and recorded six strikeouts across 5.1 innings. 
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Pioneers wasted no time getting the offense started with Colin Coblentz opening the game with a solo homerun, and Justin Fuller later added a sacrifice fly to bring Doran Mast home to give Malone a 2-0 lead in the first. 
 
The Pioneers continued to add on in the second and third innings. Mast drove in Robert Gumino with a ground-rule double before Shane Coblentz brought in Colin Coblentz on a sacrifice fly. In the third, Charlie Roberts launched a two-run home run to extend Malone's lead to 6-0. 

After the Saints got on the board in the bottom of the third, the Pioneers answered with a five-run fourth inning. Vincent Alvarez nailed a three-run home run, followed by an RBI by Roberts for an 11-1 lead.

Malone kept control of the rest of the game, adding runs in each of the final three innings. Roberts had another home run in the sixth inning, and Colin Coblentz hit his second home run of the day in the seventh as the Pioneers took a 14-4 victory.
 
Malone scored in all seven innings and eight of the nine batters had at least one hit. Ashton Snyder (2-5) pitched a complete game and was efficient at just 76 pitches in the win.
 
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers will continue their run in Kentucky as they play the Saints of Thomas More University on Saturday, April 25 at 12:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M for another G-MAC doubleheader.