The Malone University softball team lost game one, but bounced back to win game two in five innings on the road to non-conference opponent Notre Dame College on Wednesday night by the final scores of 8-3 and 9-1.

The Pioneers will return to conference play this weekend as they travel to Michigan to take on Saginaw Valley State on Saturday, April 11 at 1:00 p.m.

Game One Recap

Catcher Emily Isla singled to left field, allowing Alexa Holztrager to score Malone's first run of the game in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.

Notre Dame's Kelsey Coleman tallied a solo home run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1. They continued to collect the runs as they scored four in the bottom of the second inning to take the 5-1 advantage.

Malone's Stephanie Byrne singled through the right side to bring Emily Beck across the plate to make it a 5-2 game.

The Falcons scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning to extend their lead to 8-2.

Holztrager would ground out to the shortstop, allowing Erika Gerber to score to make it an 8-3 game in the top of the fourth inning.

Neither team would collect another run in the final innings, giving the Falcons the 8-3 victory.

Byrne went 2-for-3 at the plate and had an RBI to lead the Pioneers' offense.

Game Two Recap

The Pioneers scored off an error by the Falcons centerfielder to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Malone's Lauren Searcy tallied her first homerun of the season in the top of the second inning to increase the lead to 2-0.

Allison Mercado would also register her first two-run homer of the season in the top of the third inning. Pitcher Kari Hall doubled to right center in the top of the third, allowing Gerber to score and put the Pioneers on top 5-0.

The Pioneers would score four runs in the top of the fourth inning to increase their lead to 9-0.

The Falcons Kayla Sidorski notched a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to get Notre Dame on the scoreboard 9-1. That would be all the Falcons would collect, giving Malone the 9-1 victory in five innings.

Isla went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, collected a RBI and had a double, while Mercado also was perfect at the plate (2-for-2), notched three RBIs and a homer to pace the Pioneers' offense. Holztrager also had a big game, going 3-for-4 at the plate.