Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
The Malone University softball team (9-15-1, 1-9 GLIAC) recorded their first GLIAC win of the season, rallying from a 6-0 deficit to win on a walk-off single from sophomore Katie Snoddy in game two of their doubleheader against Lake Erie College to earn a split on the day.
 
After losing game one 4-1, the Pioneers entered the bottom of the fifth inning of game two trailing 6-0, before exploding for four runs. Freshman Allison Mercado's two-out single up the middle with two outs was misplayed by the Lake Erie centerfielder, allowing three runs to score to cut the lead to 6-4.
 
The Malone top of the order, consisting of sophomores Alexa Holztrager, Emily Isla and Desi Hengoed, strung together back-to-back-to back singles in the sixth frame to pull within a run. The trio went 7-for-11 for the game to set the table for the middle of the Malone order. Isla would plate the game's tying run later in the inning, scoring from third with the Lake Erie defense preoccupied with Hengoed's stolen base attempt.
 
Junior Jillian Coyle advanced her record to .500 (6-6) on the season after shutting down the Storm over the final three innings. She worked out of a pivotal jam in the top of the seventh inning, inducing a flyout to left field with two runners on-base. For the game, she worked all seven innings, yielding six runs (five earned) on 11 hits, while also racking up six strikeouts.
 
Freshman Erika Gerber got things started in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single, followed by a single from Coyle to put runners in first and second. Freshman Mikayla Fowler succeeded in advancing each runner a base with a groundout to first bringing Snoddy to the plate. She delivered with Malone's 15^th hit of the ballgame, a game-winning single to centerfield to plate the winning run.
 
Hengoed and Gerber paced Malone with three hits apiece while Holztrager and Isla contributed two. In all, nine Malone batters recorded hits for the game.
 
In game one, Lake Erie's pitcher, Amanda Ander, held the Pioneers' bats in check, limiting the visitors to just four hits. They did strike in the top of the first inning, loading the bases with no outs after an Isla double was sandwiched between walks to Holztrager and Hengoed, but the Pioneers could only squeeze one run out of the threat, courtesy of an rbi groundout from freshman Juliana Shultes.
 
Junior Stephanie Byrne (3-9) pitched well for Malone in a losing effort, giving up four runs on eight hits in 4 and 2/3 innings. Coyle came on in relief in the fifth inning after the Storm broke through for three runs, allowing only one base runner over 1 and 1/3 innings of work. Holztrager, Mercado and Coyle joined Isla in the hit column for Malone.
 
Malone will try to build on the momentum created from the game two rally this Friday, Apr. 11^th when they head to Ferris State University (MI) to take on the bulldogs in a conference doubleheader starting at 2:00 pm.