Baseball - Malone defeats:
                                Seton Hill (PA) University  4-3
                                Capital University  6-5
                                Point Park (PA) University  6-2
                                Point Park (PA) University  5-0
                                Point Park (PA) University  12-2 (5 inn.)
                                Point Park (PA) University  12-1 (5 inn.)

                    Malone loses to:
                                Seton Hill (PA) University  11-6
                                Capital University  7-1

                    CURRENT RECORD:  32-9  (15-5 AMC North)

Men's Golf - Malone (B) finished second among 8 teams at the Walsh University Invitational last Monday and Tuesday; Malone (A) won the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University Invitational among 10 teams last Friday and Saturday

 

Softball - Malone defeats:

 

Men's and Women's Track & Field - Malone competed at the Slippery Rock (PA) University Invitational last Saturday; the teams also sent athletes to the Sea Ray Relays (Knoxville, TN) Thursday through Saturday and two athletes to the Mt. San Antonio (CA) Community College Relays on Saturday

 

Men' s Tennis - Malone defeats:
                                        Tiffin University  5-4
                             CURRENT RECORD:   9-7  (4-0 AMC)

Women's Tennis - Malone loses to:
                                             Tiffin University  8-1
                                  CURRENT RECORD:  6-10  (0-3 AMC South)

 

     The Malone College baseball team began a busy week by splitting a make-up doubleheader with Seton Hill (PA) University at home on Monday, falling 11-6 in the opener before taking the nightcap by a 4-3 final.  On Tuesday, the Pioneers split a pair of games with NCAA Div. III Capital University (at Malone), winning game one 6-5 before dropping game two 7-1.  Then, over the weekend, the squad swept all four games of a home and home series with Point Park (PA) University, winning Friday’s contests at Point Park 6-2 and 5-0 and Saturday’s games at Malone 12-2 and 12-1, respectively.  Both of Saturday’s contests ended after five innings due to the mercy rule.  With another impressive week, the Pioneers maintained their first-place standing in the AMC North, improving their overall record to 32-9 with a 15-5 mark in the division.
     Following last Tuesday’s doubleheader, it was announced that for the second consecutive week, Malone has moved up in the NAIA’s top 25 poll and is now ranked 16th in the nation (ratings announced each Wednesday).
     In Monday’s opener against Seton Hill, the Pioneers fell behind 10-2 after four innings en route to the 11-6 defeat.  Korey Heppeard (Sr., Van Wert H.S.) started on the mound and suffered his first loss of the season after giving up nine runs (six earned) on nine hits over 3.1 innings pitched.  Malone recorded ten hits in the game as Jarrod Stahl (Sr., Kenmore H.S.) went 3-4 with three runs scored and two steals.
     In game two against Seton Hill, the Pioneers fell behind 3-1 after two innings but then scored three runs in the fourth to take the lead, hanging on for the tight 4-3 win.  Adam Boudler (Fr., Louisville H.S.) started on the mound and earned his third win of the season after pitching the first five innings of the contest.  Anthony Barson (Sr., Timken H.S.) then entered the game in the sixth and earned his sixth save of the year by shutting out Seton Hill over the final two innings. 
     In game one on Tuesday, Malone jumped out to an early 6-2 lead before enduring a late Capital rally, holding on for a 6-5 win.  Josh McKeivier (So., Strasburg Franklin H.S.) went the distance on the mound, earning his fourth win of the year (4-2) after surrendering five runs (four earned) on twelve hits over seven innings pitched.  Scott McIlvain (Fr., Marlington H.S.) went 2-3 at the plate with an RBI single, two runs scored and two steals. 
     In game two against Capital, Malone mustered just two hits and committed three errors in the 7-1 defeat.  Ryan Hartong (Fr., Dalton H.S.) started the game and suffered his first loss of the season (3-1) after allowing five runs (two earned) on six hits over four innings pitched.  The Pioneers’ lone run came in the fourth inning on Jonathon Lutton’s (Fr., Louisville H.S.) RBI groundout.
     In Friday’s opener, Malone grabbed a 4-0 lead after three innings and then cruised to the 6-2 win.  Boudler earned his second victory of the week (4-1) after giving up just two runs on ten hits over six innings pitched.  The Pioneers tallied seven hits in the contest as Troy Richeson (So., Minerva H.S.) clubbed a solo homerun and Bob Dubovec (Jr., Kenston H.S.) went 2-3 with three runs batted in. 
     In game two on Friday, Dubovec started on the mound and pitched six shutout innings, earning his fifth win of the year (5-3) after allowing just three hits and striking out seven in Malone’s 5-0 triumph.  The Pioneers smacked nine hits in the contest as Stahl went 2-4 with two steals and a pair of RBI singles.  
     In game one on Saturday, Malone used a huge seven-run third inning to take a commanding lead and then never looked back as they rolled to the 12-2 five-inning victory.  Heppeard tossed his sixth victory of the year (6-1), allowing only two earned runs on seven hits over five innings pitched.  The Pioneers pounded out 14 hits in the game as Dubovec went 3-3 with two doubles and three RBI.  In addition, Richeson also went 3-3, ripping a three-run triple and a one-run double.
     In Saturday’s finale, Malone once again exploded for seven runs in the third inning en route to the dominating 12-1 five-inning win.  Dan Walker (Sr., Ellet H.S.) started the game and earned his fifth win of the season (5-1) after giving up just one earned run on four hits over four innings pitched.  Josh Spencer (Jr., Canton Cent. Catholic H.S.) went 2-2 at the plate with two runs scored, three RBI, and one stolen base.  In addition, McIlvain was 2-3, smacking a two-run single and a one-run double.   
     This week, Malone (32-9, 15-5 AMC N) will travel to Kent State University (20-12) on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. for a single nine-inning contest before heading to Youngstown State University (14-21) on Wednesday for another single nine-inning game, starting at 7:00 p.m.  Then on Friday, Malone will travel to Myers University (7-27) for a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader before heading to Tiffin University (18-23, 8-10 AMC S) for two games on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Men's Golf (B) Places Second At Walsh; A Team Wins Mt. Vernon Nazarene Invitational

     The Malone College men's golf team competed in two events last week as the B squad placed second among eight teams at the Walsh University Invitational on Monday and Tuesday while the A team posted a victory among a 10-team field at the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University Invitational last Friday and Saturday.
     At Walsh, Malone's B team tallied a score of 626 (308-318) as Walsh (A) won the event at 604 (296-308).  Walsh B was third at 633, Urbana University came in fourth at 650 and Mt. Vernon Nazarene University rounded out the top five at 633.
     Jordan Grubb (Jr., Lake H.S.) paced the team with a score of 152 (75-77) while Michael Johnson (Fr., Lake H.S.) was close behind at 155 (76-79).  Other scores for Malone included Nate Garwood (Jr., Ridgedale H.S.) at 163 (77-86), Garret Barbush (Jr., Manheim, PA) at 163 (80-83) and Matt Strayer (So., Riverside H.S.) at 165 (86-79).
     At the Mt. Vernon Nazarene tournament, after being in fourth place and 11 shots off the lead after round one, Malone recorded an impressive comeback with the event by five strokes.  The Pioneers posted a score of 590 (302-288) to defeat runner-up Tiffin University which had a 595 (296-299).  Walsh and Cedarville finished in a tie for third at 598 (Walsh:291-307; Cedarville:300-298) while Seton Hill (PA) University rounded out the top five at 611 (310-301).
     Darren Phipps (So., Lake H.S.) led Malone and finished in a tie for sixth place as he shot 146 (75-71).  Scotty Jones (Jr., East Palestine H.S.) followed and finished in a tie for ninth place at 147 (77-70).  Other Malone scores included Scott Shenker (Sr., Twinsburg H.S.) at 148 (74-74), Grant Gates (Jr., River Valley H.S.) at 149 (76-73) and Aaron Strauch (Sr., Emporium, PA) at 158 (78-80).
     This week, the Malone A team will compete at the Indiana Wesleyan University Invitational on Monday (8:00 a.m.) and Tuesday (8:00 a.m.) while both the A and B teams will host the Malone Invitational this Friday and Saturday at the Tannenhauf Golf Course in Alliance (10:00 a.m. both days).

Softball Takes Two From Ursuline, Drops Pair Against Shawnee State

     The Malone College softball team hosted a make-up doubleheader at home against Ursuline College on Tuesday, taking the opener 3-2 before dominating the nightcap 9-1 in just five innings.  Then on Saturday, the Pioneers hosted two games against Shawnee State, falling 4-2 in game one and 2-1 in game two.  After the 2-2 week, Malone’s current record stands at 13-14 overall with a 4-6 mark in the AMC South Division.
     In Tuesday’s opener, the Pioneers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after the first inning and then maintained this slim advantage until Ursuline was able to tie the game with one run in the top of the sixth inning and then grab the lead with another run in the top of the seventh.  Malone rallied back though, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Pioneers the 3-2 walk-off victory.  Cori Helm (Jr., East Brook H.S.) went the distance on the mound, earning her third victory of the season by allowing just two earned runs over seven innings pitched.  Malone recorded five hits in the contest as Kristen Cochran (So., Newcomerstown H.S.) went 1-2 with a double and two runs scored.    
     In game two against Ursuline, the Pioneers set the tone early by scoring three runs in the first inning and five more runs in the second en route to a dominating 9-1 five-inning victory.  Heather Jones (Sr., Lexington H.S.) posted her sixth win of the year after giving up just one run on four hits over five innings pitched.  Malone pounded out ten hits in the contest as Jones helped her own cause at the plate by crushing two solo homeruns to lead off both the bottom of the second and bottom of the third innings.  
     In game one against Shawnee State, the Pioneers were held to just two runs on eights and committed one error in the 4-2 defeat.  Jones suffered the loss (6-4) despite striking out 12 and surrendering four runs on nine hits over seven innings pitched.  Sarah Sweitzer (Sr., New Philadelphia H.S.) went 2-4 at the plate, ripping an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning. 
     In Saturday’s finale, Malone once again struggled to get any offense going while keeping Shawnee State at bay as well, suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat.  Helm took the tough loss (3-5) after allowing just two earned runs on five hits over seven innings pitched.  Holly Christopher (So., Garfield H.S.) went 2-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles.      
     This week, Malone (13-14, 4-6 AMC S) will begin a busy week by traveling to Cedarville University (17-14, 5-4 AMC S) for a doubleheader on Monday at 3:30 p.m. before returning home to host two games against divisional rival Walsh University (13-19, 4-5 AMC S) on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.  The Pioneers will then travel to Geneva (PA) College (20-17, 2-4 AMC N) for another doubleheader on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. before heading to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University (10-17, 2-8 AMC S) for two more games on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. 

Track & Field Teams Compete At Slippery Rock Invitational; Also Send Athletes To Sea Ray Relays, Mt. SAC Relays

     The Malone College men's and women's track & field teams competed at the non-scoring Slippery Rock (PA) University Invitational last Saturday but also sent athletes to the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee last Thursday through Saturday while two athletes also competed at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, California Saturday.
     At the Slippery Rock meet, Mike Coates (So., Sandy Valley H.S.) turned in the top performance for the men as he finished second in the 1500 meters in 4:06.38.  Chris Cruise (So., Fled H.S.) placed third in the 400-meter dash (49:41) while Cody Ford (Sr., Minerva H.S.) finished close behind in that race in fifth place (49:82).  Ryan Crocker (Fr., CVCA) took third in the 5000 meters (16:31.77) while Jeb Ford (Fr., Minerva H.S.) placed fifth in the 100-meter dash (10.91).  Justin Jump (Fr., Wellington H.S.) also placed in the top five in an event, taking fifth in the discus at 136' 11".
     Others in the top ten for the men included Jeremy Rodgers (Jr., Tusky Valley H.S.) in the discus (8th, 130' 1"), Chad Armstrong (Jr., Edgewood H.S.) in the hammer throw (8th, 14' 2"), Brady West (Jr., West Muskingum H.S.) in the high jump (10th, 5' 10") and Jay Brueckner (So., Crestview H.S.) in the 400-meter hurdles (57.86).
     For the women's team, Laura McElrath (So., Tallmadge H.S.) led the way with a fourth-place finish in the long jump (17' 10.75") while Ashley Currence (Jr., East Canton H.S.) also finished in the top five by taking fifth in the triple jump (37' 5.5").  In addition, the Malone women's 4x100-meter relay team finished fifth in a time of 50.14 seconds.
     Others who finished in the top ten for the women included Vallie Scott (Fr., West Branch H.S.) in the 200-meter dash (6th, 25.70), Holly Motter (Fr., Mt. Union, PA) in the long jump (7th, 17' 3.5"), McElrath in the 200-meter dash (7th, 25.78) and 100-meter hurdles (8th, 14.95), Faith Nicholson (Jr., McMurray, PA) in the high jump (8th, 5' 0"), Megan Gasparin (Sr., Renfrew, PA) in the hammer throw (8th, 148' 1"), Currence in the long jump (9th, 17' .5") and Katie Murphy (Fr., Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) in the shot put (10th, 39' 6").
     At the Sea Ray Relays, in which a majority of the field was NCAA Div. I, Ryan Kienzle (So., GlenOak H.S.) finished 12th in the 10,000 meters in 32:20.74 while Justin Baum (So., Kenston H.S.) placed 15th in the 5000 meters in 15:48.20.  In addition, Nik Schweikert (Fr., Beavercreek H.S.) finished 48th in the 1500 meters in 4:07.14.

     At the Mt. SAC event, whose slogan is "where the world's best athletes compete", Leo Kormanik (Sr., Akron Ellet H.S.) finished third in the 5000 meters in 14:50.32 defeating runners from the likes of UCLA, Arkansas, Louisville and Alabama.  Joanna Genter (Jr., Crestview H.S.) also placed third in her 5000-meter event against the same outstanding competition in a time of 17:35.39.  She defeated runners from Marquette, Georgetown, Florida and Northwestern among another mostly NCAA Div. I field.
     This week, the Malone teams will compete at the American Mideast Conference Championships, hosted by Cedarville University, on Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, events start at 6:00 p.m.  Saturday's schedule begins at 10:00 a.m.

Men's Tennis Team Defeats Tiffin 5-4; Extends Win Streak To Five