CURRENT RECORD:  34-15  (17-7 AMC North)

 

Men' s Tennis - Malone defeats:
                                       Roberts Wesleyan (NY) College  6-3

                             CURRENT RECORD:   10-11  (5-3 AMC)

For statistics and standings of Malone teams, check out www.malone.edu/athletics and/or www.amcsports.org.

 

 

     At the Apple Valley Golf Course in Howard, Ohio last Thursday and Friday, the Malone College men's golf team, led by head coach Ken Hyland, captured the AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament for the third straight year and won the event by a convincing 22-stroke margin for the second consecutive year.  With the title, Malone has again earned an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championships May 16-19 in Olathe, Kansas.
     In addition to the team title, Malone's Scotty Jones (Jr., East Palestine H.S.) recorded his second straight individual title at the AMC/Region event -- this year with rounds of 70, 71 and 71 for a four-under-par 212.  Jones, who earned the Al Turner award as the conference MVP, becomes the fourth Malone men's golfer to win conference medalist honors twice (Ken Hyland '68, '69; Jack Shoenfelt '84, '87; Josh Anderson '99, '01) and only the second (Hyland being the other) to win back-to-back individual conference titles.  Hyland also was named the AMC Coach of the Year for the third straight year.
     Malone tallied a 54-hole score of 885 (+21), with rounds of 293, 300 and a tourney-record 292 on the final day, to easily defeat runner-up Ohio Dominican University, which finished at 907.  Tiffin University was third at 925 while Shawnee State University and Walsh University tied for fourth at 932.
     Darren Phipps (So., Lake H.S.) finished in a tie for sixth-place overall at 225 (77-76-72) while Grant Gates (Jr., River Valley H.S.) tied for eighth at 226 (71-78-77).  Jordan Grubb (Jr., Lake H.S.) was right behind in a tie for 10th place at 227 (80-75-72).  All four Malone athletes, by virtue of their top-ten finishes, were named to the All-Conference Team.
     Scott Shenker (Sr., Twinsburg H.S.) also competed for Malone and finished in a tie for 24th place with a score of 236 (75-81-80).
     Malone will next compete in the NAIA National Championships in Olathe, Kansas May 16-19.

 

Baseball Wraps Up Conference Play With 2-2 Week; To Compete In AMC Qualifier Series Against Walsh On Thursday As #2 North Seed
 
     The Malone College baseball team swept both games of a doubleheader on Wednesday at Saint Vincent (PA) College, winning the opener 5-2 before taking the nightcap by a 9-2 final.  With these two victories, the Pioneers held on to their first place divisional standing and entered Saturday’s final two regular season AMC North contests against Saint Vincent in a first place tie with Seton Hill University (PA) (both schools had 17-5 conference records).  The Pioneers dropped both games of Saturday’s home doubleheader with Saint Vincent, though, falling 5-2 in game one and 10-3 in game two to finish the regular season in second place in the AMC North with a 34-15 overall record and a 17-7 mark in the division (Seton Hill won its two games against Geneva College on Saturday to finish the regular season in first place with a 19-5 divisional record).
     Malone still easily qualifies for postseason play as the AMC North #2 seed and will have home field advantage in a three-game AMC First-Round Qualifying series on Thursday against North #3 seed Walsh University.  The teams will play two games beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday and will play the third game, if necessary, on Friday (time TBA).
     With 34 wins on the season and with one regular-season game remaining (at The University of Akron on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m.), Malone can still break the school record for most wins in a season (set by the 1993 team with 36 wins; 36-9-1).  The 1993 Malone team was recognized on Saturday between games.
     With a double in game two against Saint Vincent on Saturday, Bob Dubovec (Jr., Kenston H.S.) continued his remarkable season by breaking yet another Malone single-season record with 18 doubles.  Dubovec’s fifth-inning double broke the previous record of 17 doubles set by Owen Roberts during the 1994 season.  Dubovec now holds three single-season Malone hitting records (doubles, hits, and runs batted in).
     Prior to Wednesday’s doubleheader, it was announced that the Pioneers remained in the NAIA’s top 25 poll and are now ranked 19th in the nation (ratings announced each Wednesday).
     In game one on Wednesday, Malone held an early 2-1 lead before scoring twice in the top of the sixth and once in the top of the seventh to seal the 5-2 victory.  Adam Boudler (Fr., Louisville H.S.) started on the mound and earned his fifth win of the season (5-2) after limiting Saint Vincent to just two runs (one earned) on six hits over six innings pitched.  Anthony Barson (Sr., Timken H.S.) recorded his sixth save of the season after retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.  The Pioneers smacked five hits in the game as Scott McIlvain (Fr., Marlington H.S.) went 2-4 with an RBI single.  In addition, Scott Taylor (So., Lake H.S.) also went 2-4, ripping a two-run single in the sixth inning.
     In Wednesday’s nightcap, Malone took an 8-0 lead and never looked back en route to the dominating 9-2 win.  Dubovec started for the Pioneers, recording his sixth win of the season (6-3) after surrendering just two runs (one earned) on seven hits over six innings pitched.  Malone pounded out seven hits in the contest as Jarrod Stahl (Sr., Kenmore H.S.) went 2-3 with three runs scored and one stolen base.
     In Saturday’s opener, the Pioneers grabbed an early 1-0 lead, but then surrendered three runs in the top of the sixth inning in the 5-2 defeat.  Korey Heppeard (Sr., Van Wert H.S.) suffered the loss for Malone (6-2).  
     In Saturday’s finale, Saint Vincent used a huge nine-run fifth inning to take command before cruising to the 10-3 win.  The Pioneers posted five hits in the contest but also committed five errors. 
     This week, Malone (34-15, 17-7 AMC N) will conclude the regular season by traveling to The University of Akron (12-27) on Tuesday to face the Zips in one nine-inning contest slated for 3:00 p.m.  The squad will then have home-field advantage as the #2 North seed in a best-of-three AMC first-round qualifying series against Walsh University, the #3 North seed, this Thursday at 11:00 a.m.  A third-game of the series, if necessary, would be played on Friday (time TBA, but likely 1:00 p.m.)
 
Softball Team Qualifies for AMC Tournament

     The Malone College softball team’s two scheduled games for last Tuesday against Ashland University were cancelled and the team will wrap up its regular season on Tuesday with two games at Notre Dame (OH) College, slated for 4:30 p.m.  With a 17-18 overall record and a 7-7 mark in the AMC South Division, the Pioneers have qualified for the American Mideast Conference postseason as the #4 seed in the AMC South and will play a best-of-three first-round qualifying series on Thursday against #3 South seed Shawnee State University (26-11, 10-4).  Two games will be played that day and if, necessary, the third game would be played on Friday (time TBA).