March 3, 2008

Malone Pummels Mary (ND) 21-2, Outlasts Madonna (MI) 1-0 As Zach Winkhart Tosses Three-Hit Shutout

 
 
The Malone College baseball team picked up a pair of wins Monday on day two of its spring break trip to Arizona.  The Pioneer bats were on fire in the first game as the squad mashed 27 hits in a 21-2 rout of the University of Mary (ND).  After expending all of that offensive firepower in the opener, it was pitching that took center stage in game two versus Madonna (MI) University as senior right-hander Zach Winkhart (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) led Malone to a 1-0 victory after working seven shutout innings on the mound, surrendering just three hits while striking out one.  Following the two impressive victories, the Pioneers record improved to 3-1 on the young season (0-0 AMC).
 
Against Mary (0-5), Malone scored a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to take an early 4-0 lead and then put the game out of reach with 10 runs in the top of the third.  The Marauders retired the Pioneers’ first batter of the third inning, but after a pair of walks, the next nine Malone batters recorded base hits to stretch the lead to 14-0.  Mary finally brought the big inning to a close after inducing two fly outs, but the Marauders could not recover from the huge offensive outburst, falling by a 21-2 final.  Junior right-handed pitcher Adam Boudler (Louisville H.S.) started and recorded the victory (1-0) after tossing five innings, giving up just two runs on four hits while striking out five and walking two.  Seven different Pioneer batters recorded at least two hits in the game.  Senior outfielder Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw H.S.) turned in an incredible performance as he went 5-6 in the contest, finishing a home run short of the cycle.  Mandeville scored three runs and notched four RBI with a triple, two doubles, and two singles. Junior catcher Jon Lutton (Louisville H.S.) tallied four hits in four at-bats with three runs batted in and infielder Zac Barson (Canton South H.S.) went 4-6 at the plate with a two-run double.
 
In Monday’s contest with Madonna (3-3), the Pioneers broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning after pinch runner Mike Tozzi (Jr., Sandy Valley H.S.) scored from second base on a botched pick-off attempt.  This single run was all Winkhart would need as recorded his first win of the season (1-0) with one strikeout and one walk in seven scoreless innings of work.  Lutton also helped keep Maddona off the scoreboard by gunning down all four Crusaders who attempted to steal bases in the seven-inning contest.  Malone recorded five hits in the 1-0 victory, all singles.
 
The Pioneers (3-1 overall, 0-0 AMC) return to action on Tuesday with a 9:30 a.m. (MST) doubleheader against Mayville State (ND) University (3-2 overall).  Malone will then have a day off on Wednesday before continuing its spring break schedule on Thursday with a 12:00 p.m. (MST) doubleheader against Waynesburg (PA) University (0-6 overall).
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