The Malone University baseball team tallied a 1-1 record on Saturday during its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against Grand Valley State (MI) University at Thurman Munson Stadium.  The Lakers, ranked 13^th in the latest NCAA Division II National Poll, rallied for a 3-2 victory in game one before the Pioneers bounced back with a 2-1 triumph in the finale.

The two teams will wrap up their respective regular-season schedules on Sunday with two more games.  The first pitch of Sunday's opener is now slated for 1:00 p.m. (instead of the originally scheduled time of 12:00 p.m.).  Festivities recognizing Bob Starcher Memorial Day will be held before game one.  Malone's seniors will then be honored between games.

Game One Recap
Malone jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener.  Centerfielder Brenden Wells led off the frame with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Richie Mast and then crossed the plate on an RBI double by third baseman Jon Crank.

Right-handed starting pitcher Joe Costello held the GVSU offense at bay over the first six innings, allowing just four hits.  However, the Lakers finally managed to break through with three runs in the top of the seventh.

Malone cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning on first baseman Tyler Eagon's RBI single.  Second baseman Austin Pachan then lined a single through the left side of the infield, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

GVSU closer Matt Williams was able to escape the jam, though, retiring the next three Malone batters in order to notch his 10th save of the year.

The Pioneers registered eight hits in the contest, two each for Eagon, Pachan and catcher Hayden Mobley.

Game Two Recap
The Lakers struck first in game two, plating a run in the top of the first inning.  Wells tied it in the third, chasing home Eagon after launching a double to center.

Malone then pulled in front in the sixth. Mast led off the inning with a single and then stole second.  The junior shortstop tagged and went to third on Crank's fly out to center before racing home on a wild pitch.

The two runs proved to be all the Pioneer pitching staff would need.  GVSU put at least one runner on base in each of the final three frames, but was unable to even the score.

Joshua Hurford worked the first 7.1 innings to pick up the win.  The redshirt freshman improved to 6-3 on the season after scattering six hits while striking out four.  Reliever Ty Husted retired the lone batter he faced in the eighth before giving way to Gunnar Smeyres, who registered the final four outs to earn his first career save.  The Lakers put the tying run on second with one out in the ninth, but Smeyres punched out the next two batters he faced to cement the one-run victory.