Malone College Sports This Week
Mar. 3 (Mon.) - Baseball vs. Univ. of Mary (ND); 9:00 a.m. (all games this week played at the Phoenix, AZ Invitational)
- Baseball vs. Madonna (MI) University; 12:30 p.m. (DH)
- Men's Tennis vs. Covenant (GA) College; 9:00 a.m.
Mar. 4 (Tue.) - Men's Basketball home against Cedarville University; 7:30 p.m. (AMC Tournament Final) - WNPQ 95.9 FM
- Women's Tennis vs. Roanoke (VA) College; 8:00 a.m. (all games this week played at Hilton Head, SC)
- Women's Tennis vs. Univ. of Dubuque (IA); 6:00 p.m.
- Baseball vs. Mayville State (ND) University; 9:30 p.m. (DH)
- Softball vs. Thiel (PA) College; 10:00 a.m. (all games this week played at Disney Challenge; Orlando, FL)
- Softball vs. Susquehanna (PA) University; 2:00 p.m.
Mar. 5 (Wed.) - Softball vs. Cedar Crest (PA) College; 9:30 a.m. (DH)
- Softball vs. Alvernia (PA) College; 1:30 p.m.
- Men's Tennis vs. Gettysburg (PA) College; 12:00 p.m.
Mar. 6 (Thu.) - Women's Tennis vs. Wittenberg University; 8:00 a.m.
- Women's Tennis vs. Gettysburg (PA) College; 3:00 p.m.
- Softball vs. Rochester (MI) College; 9:00 a.m.
- Softball vs. Webber International (FL) University; 4:30 p.m.
- Baseball vs. Waynesburg (PA) College; 12:00 p.m. (DH)
- Men's Tennis vs. Tri-State (IN) University; 12:00 p.m.
- Men's Tennis vs. Palm Beach Atlantic (FL) University; 6:00 p.m.
Mar. 6-8 (Thu.-Sat.) - Men's and Women's Track & Field at NAIA Indoor National Championships (Johnson City, TN)
Mar. 7 (Fri.) - Baseball vs. St. Cloud State (MN) University; 12:30 p.m. (DH)
Mar. 7-8 (Fri.-Sat.) - Women's Golf at Fairfield University Tournament (at Myrtle Beach, SC)
Mar. 8 (Sat.) - Baseball vs. Mayville State (ND) University; 11:30 a.m. (DH)
Men's Basketball - Malone defeats:
** Mt. Vernon Nazarene University 101-98 (OT)
- Malone loses to:
* Walsh University 82-60
CURRENT RECORD: 21-9 (final 7-3 AMC North record)
* - AMC North/South Championship Game
** - AMC Tournament Semifinal Game
Baseball - Malone defeats:
* Madonna (MI) University 3-2 (8 innings)
Malone loses to:
* Madonna (MI) University 12-2
CURRENT RECORD: 1-1
* - games played at Phoenix, AZ Invitational
Men's Tennis - Malone defeats:
Mt. Union College 6-3
* St. John Fisher (NY) College 8-1
CURRENT RECORD: 4-2
* - match played at Hilton Head, SC
Men’s Basketball Falls To Walsh In AMC North/South Championship Game on Tuesday, Bounces Back On Saturday To Win Thrilling AMC Tournament Semifinal Contest In Overtime
The Malone College men’s basketball team suffered an 82-60 loss in the American Mideast Conference North/South Championship Game at NAIA Division II No. 6 Walsh University on Tuesday evening. The hard-fought defeat did not end the Pioneers’ season, however, as the squad automatically became the #1 seed in the six-team AMC Postseason Tournament. With the top seed, Malone received a first-round bye and then hosted a semifinal contest against the tournament’s #4 seed, NAIA Division II No. 22 Mount Vernon Nazarene University, on Saturday night. Although Malone trailed by 10 points midway through the second half of Saturday’s game, the squad rallied down the stretch to post a thrilling 101-98 overtime victory. Malone (21-9) now moves on to Tuesday night’s AMC Tournament championship contest where it will host NAIA Division II No. 18 Cedarville University (21-7, #2 seed) at 7:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the tournament’s final round after defeating #3 seed Ohio Dominican University 81-67 in Saturday’s other semifinal. The winner of the Malone-Cedarville contest will earn the conference’s second automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament (Walsh claimed the first automatic bid after defeating Malone on Tuesday).
In Tuesday evening’s match-up, which featured the AMC South Division regular-season champion (Walsh) versus the North Division regular season champion (Malone), the host Cavaliers took command of the contest by outscoring the Pioneers 24-4 over the final eight minutes of the first half. An early 12-2 run had put Malone in front 24-17 at the 8:15 mark of the opening stanza but it was all Walsh from that point on as the Cavaliers held the Pioneers to just four free throws over the remainder of the first half to take a 41-28 advantage into the locker room at intermission. Malone was then unable to cut into the 13-point deficit over the remainder of the game as Walsh stretched its lead to as many as 27 points in the final frame en route to 82-60 victory.
The Cavaliers made over 48% (31 of 64) of their shots from the field in Tuesday’s game while holding Malone to 40% (22 of 55) shooting on the night, including just 33.3% (8 of 24) in the first half. Walsh also knocked down 10 of its 23 (43.5%) three-pointers, connected on 10 of 13 (76.9%) free throws, and held a 38-31 advantage in total rebounds.
Senior forward Tyler Renner (Garaway H.S.) led the way for the Pioneers with 21 points (8-16 FG, 3-7 3PT FG, 2-2 FT) and six rebounds. Senior center Shane Humphrey (Loudonville H.S.) added 11 points and seven boards while senior guard Ben Carver (Shelby H.S.) also notched 11 points.
Brandon Weems paced Walsh with 22 points (8-14 FG, 5-6 3PT FG, 1-1 FT) and four assists. Eder Araujo followed with 16 points and eight rebounds with Kyelce Cescato contributing 10 points and 10 boards.
Mt. Vernon Nazarene led Saturday’s contest 74-64 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second half before an 11-1 Malone run knotted the score at 75-75 at the 6:07 mark of the final stanza. The Cougars immediately responded to this Pioneer surge by outscoring Malone 8-4 over the next three minutes to pull ahead 83-79. The visitors would not score over the remainder of regulation, however, and Malone quickly tied the game back up at 83-83 with clutch buckets by Renner and Carver. Each team had a pair of possessions in the final 90 seconds of the second half but neither squad could break the 83-83 tie before the buzzer sounded, sending the hard-fought postseason contest into overtime.
Mt. Vernon Nazarene pulled out to an 87-85 lead in the opening moments of the extra frame before the hosts rattled off eight unanswered points to grab a 93-87 advantage with 1:38 remaining in overtime. The Cougars trimmed the deficit to three on their next trip down the floor as Mt. Vernon Nazarene guard Brandon Short drained a free throw after being fouled on a made lay-up. Junior guard Andrew Weaver (Hiland H.S.) answered back for the Pioneers seconds later by hitting a clutch three-pointer that pushed the lead back to six at 96-90. After each squad exchanged lay-ups on its next possessions, Weaver split a pair of free throws with 24 ticks remaining on the scoreboard to give Malone a commanding 99-92 advantage.
The Cougars were not ready to surrender just yet, though, as Mt. Vernon Nazarene guard Ben Falkenberg nailed his seventh three-pointer of the night on the visitors’ ensuing possession to cut the deficit to four at 99-95. Following a quick foul, junior forward Jarrod Ferwerda (Lake H.S.) calmly stepped to the charity stripe and hit both of his attempts to stretch the Pioneers’ lead back to six at 101-95. Falkenberg flew down the floor and pulled the Cougars to within three points at 101-98 after being fouled on a made basket and then hitting the ensuing free throw with 13 seconds to play. Following a pair of missed free throws on the hosts’ next possession, Mt. Vernon Nazarene got off two game-tying, three-point attempts in the final moments but neither shot would fall as Malone held on for the dramatic 101-98 victory.
The Pioneers’ 101 points in Saturday’s game matched their season high for scoring as the squad made 35 of its 74 (47.3%) overall field goal attempts on the night, including five of six (83.3%) shots from the field in overtime. Malone fared well from three-point range as it hit eight of 17 (47.1%) shots from beyond the arc, draining both of its three-point attempts in the extra period. The hosts also made 23 of 35 (65.7%) free throws and committed just nine turnovers. The Cougars, meanwhile, connected on 42.5% (34 of 80) of their overall shots from the field, 29.7% (11 of 37) of their three-pointers, and 70.4% (19 of 27) of their attempts from the charity stripe.
Renner paced five Pioneers in double figures with a season-high 28 points (9-20 FG, 2-5 3PT FG, 8-9 FT) and 16 rebounds. Weaver followed with 18 points, eight of which came in the critical overtime period. Humphrey finished with 16 points and 11 boards for his third double-double of the year. Ferwerda also notched 16 points to go with a team-high three assists while Carver posted 12 points and six boards.
Falkenberg poured in 41 points (14-29 FG, 7-17 3PT FG, 6-7 FT) to lead the way for Mt. Vernon Nazarene. Forward Jadin Thomas followed with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks with guard Dan Borcherdt contributing 15 points.
Malone vs. Cedarville: Tuesday’s contest will mark the 88th meeting between the two schools. Malone holds a 52-35 advantage in the all-time series although the Yellow Jackets have won nine out of the last ten meetings, including a thrilling 82-80 triumph at Osborne Hall earlier this season (November 20). Three of the last four match-ups in the series have been decided by three points or less.
Pioneer Notes: Tyler Renner leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game followed by Ben Carver at 16.0 and Shane Humphrey at 11.2…Renner also paces the squad in rebounding with 8.3 boards per game followed by Humphrey at 6.0 and Carver at 5.1…Carver is averaging a team-high 3.0 assists per outing… with seven rebounds on Tuesday, Humphrey moved into the Top 20 on Malone’s all-time rebounding list and now ranks 20th with 590 career boards…Carver also moved up on the rebounding list this week as he now ranks 40th with 407 career rebounds…with 16 points on Saturday, Jarrod Ferwerda eclipsed 500 career points as a Pioneer (he now stands at 509)…Renner needs 39 more points to move into the Top 10 on Malone’s all-time scoring list (he currently ranks 11th with 1741 career points).
Baseball Splits Season-Opening Doubleheader In Arizona
The Malone College baseball team, under the direction of fifth-year head coach Tom Crank, began its 2008 season on Saturday in Chandler, Arizona by splitting a doubleheader with Madonna (MI) University. The Pioneers, who are scheduled to play 11 more games in Arizona this coming week during their annual spring break trip, won the opener 3-2 in eight innings before suffering a 12-2 loss in game two. Following Saturday’s action, Malone starts the year with a 1-1 record (0-0 AMC) while Madonna moves to 3-1.
In Saturday’s opener, the Pioneers took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run triple by senior outfielder John Stallings (Louisville H.S.). Madonna rallied to tie the contest at 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the seventh but Malone quickly regained the lead in the top of the eighth as freshman Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Senior left-handed pitcher Jimmy Dowling (Tuslaw H.S.), who had entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, then retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the 3-2, extra-inning triumph. Junior right-hander Sam Campitella (Jackson H.S.) started on the mound and earned a no decision after surrendering one unearned run over 5.2 innings of work. Dowling notched the win (1-0) after giving up one unearned run in 2.1 innings of relief. Senior centerfielder Troy Richeson (Minerva H.S.) and junior infielder Zac Barson (Canton South H.S.) each ripped a double in the contest while junior second baseman Mike Tozzi (Sandy Valley H.S.) went 2-3 at the plate with two runs scored.
In game two with Madonna, the Crusaders scored seven runs in the top of the first inning to take a commanding lead. Malone tallied solo runs in the bottom of the first and the bottom of the sixth but it was not nearly enough as Madonna rolled to the 12-2 win. Junior right-handed pitcher Ryan Hartong (Dalton H.S.) started and took the loss (0-1) after surrendering the seven first-inning runs. Richeson went 3-4 at the plate with one run scored and junior first baseman Ryan Baechel (GlenOak H.S.) plated the sixth-inning run with a one-out single.
Malone (1-1, 0-0 AMC) will return to action on Monday with a 9:00 a.m. (MST) doubleheader against the University of Mary (N.D.). Then later in the day, the squad will face Madonna in a single game slated for 12:30 p.m. (MST). All other games for the week are listed at the top of this release in the Malone College Sports This Week section.
Men’s Tennis Defeat Mt. Union 6-3, Wins First Match At Hilton Head
The Malone College men’s tennis team notched a 6-3 win at home over Mt. Union College on Monday night and then won its first match at Hilton Head, South Carolina in an 8-1 decision over St. John Fisher (NY) College on Saturday to improve to 4-2 overall on the season.
Against Mt. Union, the Pioneers opened the evening by dropping two of three doubles matches but then fought back to claim the victory by winning five of six singles pairings. Malone handed Mt. Union, which dropped to 3-1, its first loss of the season.
Against St. John Fisher, the Pioneers notched the win with victories in two of three doubles matches and all six singles pairings.
Scores for the matches (in order - Mt. Union, St. John Fisher) were as follows:
#1 Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.) W 6-2, 6-0 W 6-1, 6-4
#2 Kyle Bowers (Jr., Norwalk H.S.) W 6-4, 6-2 W 6-0, 6-1
#3 David Cairns (Fr., Strongsville, OH) W 6-2, 6-2 W 6-0, 6-0
#4 Nathaniel Rodd (So., Canton, OH) W 6-3, 6-2 W 6-3, 3-6 (10-4)
#5 Tim Springirth (Jr., Erie, PA) W 6-0, 6-0 W 6-4, 6-1
#6 Tim Frazier (So., Beaver Falls, PA) L 6-4, 7-6 W 7-5, 6-4
#1 Christman/Bowers W 8-6 W 8-3
#2 Rodd/Springirth L 8-4 W 8-6
#3 Cairns/Dan Yard (Sr., Louisville H.S.) L 8-5 L 9-7
The Pioneers are scheduled to play three more matches in Hilton Head this week before returning home for their American Mideast Conference opener against Notre Dame (Ohio) College on Thursday, March 13th.
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