Malone University Athletics

CANTON, Ohio - The Malone University baseball team won game three of the series against Ohio Dominican University 4-1 on Saturday and forced a scenario where the loser of game four would be eliminated from postseason contention. The Pioneers came up short 5-3 in ten innings in that final contest of the year.
 
The Panthers improve their record to 19-27 and 14-18 in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) action. Malone keeps their .500 record at 24-24 and finish conference play at 13-19. In between games, the Pioneers celebrated their 12 seniors. These student-athletes are Vincent Alvarez, Chris Munoz, Mark Bunch, Reilly Tyna, Nathan Shumaker, Parker Varney, Braxton Wheeler, Ayden Hall, Cadyn Smith, Jackson Schwalbach, Jackson Phelps and Jeff Todaro.
 
GAME ONE RECAP:
Shane Coblentz gave Malone a 1-0 advantage in the first inning thanks to a double the other way to right. He was helping his own cause as the starting pitcher, and retired the side in order in the second and third innings before an unearned run came across in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1.
 
The Pioneers responded immediately and scored a run in the bottom half of the inning. Tyna led off the frame with a hit and stole second to be in position to score on an Alvarez single with an error by the Ohio Dominican outfield. Tyna doubled to left center field to score an additional run in the fifth and an RBI single off the bat of Zach Root extended the lead to 4-1.
 
An efficient outing by Coblentz (6-4) allowed him to throw a complete game and nab the pitching win. He allowed just three hits and one unearned run with zero walks and six strikeouts.
 
GAME TWO RECAP:
The Pioneers needed one more win to complete the series sweep and stay in the mix for the final spot in the G-MAC Tournament. The Panthers claimed a 1-0 lead with a pair of singles, but starter Finn Schmitt fanned two to get out of the inning with limited damage.
 
That 1-0 lead would remain through three innings as Ohio Dominican pitching went through the order clean the first time with nine up and nine down. Two hits, one hit by pitch and an error made it 3-0 Panthers in the top of the fourth. Malone was able to get back to even with a three-run frame that saw Tyna plate Colin Coblentz with an RBI single, a Root sacrifice fly and a run off of an error.
 
That 3-3 lead would remain as both teams looked to the bullpen for additional help. Landon Homan allowed just one hit in two innings of work and he turned the ball over to Schwalbach from there. The offense put at least one runner in scoring position in the fifth, sixth and seventh, but quality defensive plays from Ohio Dominican and a botched suicide squeeze attempt kept the score at 3-3.
 
Rafe Bonifay singled with one out in the ninth, but was left stranded to force extra innings. To begin the tenth, the Panthers took the lead after a throwing error on the sacrifice bunt attempt by the visitors. A clutch RBI single from Ohio Dominican put the deficit at 5-3 in Malone's final swings. Colin Coblentz was hit by a pitch, but two men were left stranded in the two-run loss.
 
Schwalbach (2-2) was hampered by two unearned runs and received the loss, but tossed four innings and allowed just one hit and did not allow a walk. The senior struck out two batters as well. At the plate, Charlie Roberts notched two hits in game two, one of which was a double.