April 1, 2008

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Malone, Walsh Each Stage Late Rallies In Doubleheader Split

Malone at Walsh Box Score (Game One) - 04/01/08

Malone at Walsh Box Score (Game Two) - 04/01/08

The Malone College baseball team split a doubleheader at local rival Walsh University on Tuesday afternoon, falling 7-6 in game one before bouncing back to take the nightcap by a final score of 4-2. Each team put together a seventh-inning comeback to record its respective victory. In the opener, the Pioneers entered the bottom of the seventh with a 6-5 lead and retired the first two Cavalier batters of the inning before Walsh strung together three straight base hits to claim the 7-6 walk-off win. Malone turned the tables in game two, however, plating three runs in the top of the seventh en route to the 4-2 come-from-behind victory. Pioneer junior first baseman Ryan Baechel (GlenOak H.S.) had an incredible day at the plate as he crushed a total of four home runs in the two games. Following Tuesday’s American Mideast Conference twinbill, Malone’s overall record now stands at 15-6 with a 4-2 mark in the AMC.

Walsh (13-8 overall, 7-1 AMC) led 4-0 in game one before the Pioneers plated five runs in the top of the fifth to grab a 5-4 lead. The Cavaliers knotted the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but a solo homer by Baechel put Malone back in front 6-5 in the top of the seventh. With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the inning, the Pioneers appeared to have things under control, but Walsh refused to concede, bringing the tying and winning runs home with three straight singles and a Malone fielding error. Junior right-handed pitcher Adam Boudler (Louisville H.S.) took the loss for the Pioneers after working 1.1 innings of relief. Malone smacked 10 hits in the contest as Baechel went 2-3 with two home runs and three RBI while senior right-fielder John Stallings (Louisville H.S.) drove home a pair of runs with a fifth-inning double.

The host Cavaliers again jumped out to an early lead in game two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Baechel pulled Malone to within one run with a lead-off homer in the top of the fifth and then tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the seventh with another deep drive over the outfield wall. Junior catcher Zac Barson (Canton South H.S.) then walked, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman infielder Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) and scored the go-ahead run on a single by junior shortstop Scott McIlvain (Marlington H.S.). McIlvain then came around to score later in the inning to put the Pioneers on top 4-2. Sophomore southpaw Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to cement the 4-2 complete-game victory. Liberatore improved to 3-0 on the year after limiting Walsh to two runs on seven hits over his seven innings of work.

Malone will next travel to NCAA Division I University of Akron (11-8 overall) on Wednesday afternoon for a single, nine-inning contest which is slated to start at 3:00 p.m.

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