Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

The Malone University baseball team split its doubleheader against Bemidji State (MN) University on Saturday afternoon at the Tucson Invitational.  Malone dropped the opener by a final count of 17-4 before rallying for a 6-5 victory in the finale.

The Pioneers will have an off day in Arizona on Sunday before resuming play on Monday with a 12:00 p.m. MDT (2:00 p.m. EDT) doubleheader against Minot State (SD) University.

Game One Recap
Defensive miscues plagued the Pioneers in Saturday's opener, leading to 10 unearned runs.  Three of the errors came in the second inning and Bemidji State took full advantage, plating a total of nine runs in the frame to put the contest out of reach early on.

Things had started off well for the Pioneers. Centerfielder Keanan Locke led off the game with a triple before crossing the plate on a single by rightfielder Hayden Mobley.  Malone then added two more first-inning runs, but it was all Bemidji State from that point on.

The Pioneers totaled 11 base hits in game one as Mobley, catcher Matt Davis and leftfielder Ryan Froman all went 2-for-3.

Right-hander Jordan Fedor started on the mound and took the loss (0-1).

Game Two Recap
After falling behind early on, Malone rallied back for a dramatic walk-off victory in Saturday's finale.  Two critical errors and a three-run homer helped the Beavers build an early 5-0 advantage. 

Malone refused to surrender, though, slowly chipping away the deficit.  The Pioneers got on the scoreboard with two runs in the bottom of the second and then added solo runs in the third and fourth innings thanks to an RBI single by third baseman Jon Crank and an RBI groundout by Locke. 

The Pioneers still trailed 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh before staging a late rally.  Mobley got things started with a one-out single but then was retired on a fielder's choice.  Pinch runner Austin Pachan then entered the game and raced all the way around the bases to score the game-tying run on a two-out single by first baseman Logan Gray.  Kyler King entered the game to run for Gray and immediately stole second.  He then crossed the plate with the winning run moments later on a throwing error by the Bemidji State pitcher.

Right-hander Matt Litty started on the mound and tossed the first 5.1 innings, giving up five unearned runs on seven hits.  Reliever Brad Beachy picked up the win (1-1) after working 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Malone registered nine hits in the contest, led by Gray who went 2-for-4 with a double and the game-tying single in the seventh.