Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team used a strong offensive showing to pocket a pair of wins at Ashland University on Friday afternoon.   The Pioneers took the opener 5-4 before wrapping the afternoon with a 9-8 triumph in game two.

Malone snapped its five-game skid with the victories, improving to 17-21 overall and 12-11 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).  Ashland, meanwhile, slipped to 18-15 and 8-10 in conference games.

The two squads will wrap up their three-game weekend series on Saturday with a nine-inning game, starting at 1:00 p.m.

Game One Recap
The Pioneers grabbed a 5-0 advantage in the opener and then hung on for the one-run victory.  Malone plated solo runs in the first, third and fourth innings before tacking on two more in the top of the fifth.

Ashland brought home all four of its runs after two men were retired in the bottom of the fifth.  The Eagles got on the scoreboard with an RBI single and then pulled to within one with a three-run homer. 

However, 5-4 was as close as the hosts would get.  Ashland threatened in the sixth and seventh innings, loading the bases with two outs in the sixth and putting its lead-off man aboard in the seventh.   Pioneer starting pitcher Taylore Baker managed to work out of trouble both times, though, ending the sixth with a ground out to second before closing out the seventh with a 6-4-3 double play.

For Baker, the contest marked his fifth complete-game effort of the year.  The senior improved to 6-3 on the season after surrendering the four runs on eight hits.

Malone racked up 15 base hits in the contest.  Leftfielder Hayden Mobley went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base.  First baseman Logan Gray also went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles while centerfielder Keanan Locke, rightfielder Matt Wheeler and shortstop Kyler King each added two hits apiece.

Game Two Recap
After falling behind 3-0 in the early going of Friday's finale, the Pioneers grabbed the lead for good with a six-run outburst in the top of the fourth inning.  Gray brought home the first two runs with a double to right.  Catcher Matt Davis followed with an RBI single to center, tying the game at 3-3.  Following a double by designated hitter Michael Chack, Wheeler stepped to the plate and put Malone in front by crushing a three-run homer to center.  The blast marked Wheeler's third round-tripper of the season.

The Eagles got one run back in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run, but the Pioneers quickly answered with two more runs in the fifth, scoring on an RBI double by Mobley and an RBI groundout by Gray.

A two-out rally brought Ashland to within 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth.  An RBI double by Davis then provided what would turn out to be a vital insurance run in the top of the seventh. 

After leading off the bottom of the seventh with a pair of walks, the Eagles pulled to within 9-8 with a sacrifice fly.  Another walk put the go-ahead run on base, but Pioneer closer Brad Beachy managed to slam the door, punching out the next batter of the frame on a called third strike to preserve the win and notch his third save of the season.

Right-hander Matt Litty started on the mound for Malone and picked up the victory (2-1) after tossing the first 5.2 innings.

Eight different Pioneers tallied at least one hit in the contest.  Davis led the way, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI's.