The Malone University softball team fell to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) rivals Walsh University by the final scores of 8-4 and 12-3 (5 innings) on senior day Friday night.

The Pioneers' three seniors - Stephanie Byrne, Marionna Cane and Jillian Coyle  - were honored following the completion of game one.

The Pioneers will wrap up their season on Sunday, April 26 at noon as they host Grand Valley State University (MI). Only one game will be played on Sunday since this is a makeup game that was postponed on March 28 due to the cold weather.

Game One Recap

Walsh jumped on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. They would go on to score two more runs, one in the top of the third inning and one in the top of the fourth inning to take the 3-0 advantage.

Malone's Shelby Hulin singled to first base in the fifth, allowing Cane to score the Pioneers' first run of the game to make the score 3-1.

The Cavaliers registered a solo home run and a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to increase their lead to 6-1.   

Hulin then singled to centerfield to drive Allison Mercado across the plate to make it a 6-2 game in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Walsh scored two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend the lead to 8-2.

Mercado doubled to right field in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive Emily Isla and Emily Beck across the plate to cut the deficit to 8-4. However, that would be all that Malone could convert in the seventh inning, which gave the Cavilers the 8-4 victory.  

Hulin went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate and collected two RBIs, while Allison Mercado went 2-for-3 at the plate, tallied two RBIs and a double to pace the Pioneers offense.

Game Two Recap

Malone took an early lead when Mercado singled to rightcenter, allowing Byrne to score, giving the Pioneers a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.

Walsh answered right back, blasting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to take the 2-1 lead.

The momentum would swing in Walsh's favor, as they would score eight runs in the bottom of the second inning to increase their lead to 10-1. They then went on to score two more runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it a 12-1 game.

Malone was able to score a run in the top of the fourth inning when Alexa Holztrager singled to second base to drive home Lauren Searcy to make it a 12-2 game.

The Pioneers would score again in the top of the fifth inning, when Searcy doubled to centerfield, allowing Hulin to score, making it a 12-3 game. That wouldn't be enough for the Pioneers, though, as they fell to Walsh by the final score of 12-3 in five innings.

Isla went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, while Byrne and Searcy each went 2-for-3 with Searcy tallying a RBI and a double.