Malone vs. Carlow Box Score (Game One) - 04/26/08

Malone vs. Carlow Box Score (Game Two) - 04/26/08

 

The Malone College softball team dropped the opening game of its home American Mideast Conference North Division doubleheader with Carlow (PA) University on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 3-1, but then rallied in game two to tally a 4-3, eight-inning victory.  Before participating in their final home conference games, seniors Kathryn Bzdafka (Avon Lake H.S.), Holly Christopher (Garfield H.S.), Ashlee Locker (Strasburg H.S.), Becki Martin (Lakewood H.S.) and Jenna Vrabel (Ursuline H.S.) were each recognized for their outstanding playing careers.  Following Saturday’s “Senior Day” action, the Pioneers’ record now stands at 13-21 overall with a 7-11 mark in the AMC North.

 

A two-run homer over the leftfield fence gave Carlow (15-13 overall, 8-8 AMC North) an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning of game one.  Malone cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the frame as freshman leftfielder Elizabeth Sarkissian (Twinsburg H.S.) scored from third on a sacrifice fly by sophomore rightfielder Laura Blackburn (Thomas Worthington H.S.).   The Pioneers were unable to manufacture any additional runs over the remainder of the contest, though, as the visiting Celtics tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh en route to the 3-1 win.  Bzdafka suffered the loss (3-9) after pitching a complete game, giving up three runs on five hits.  Malone posted five hits in the contest as Bzdafka, Christopher, Sarkissian, freshman catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.) and sophomore outfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) all went 1-for-3 at the plate.

 

The Pioneers broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning of the nightcap as Christopher delivered a clutch, two-out single that plated freshman infielder Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.) from third base.  The score then remained unchanged until the top of the seventh when Carlow rallied to knot the contest at 3-3 with its own two-out single.  Malone was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, but then brought the winning run home in the bottom of the eighth when Thompson laced an RBI single up the middle to give her squad a thrilling, 4-3 walk-off victory.  Junior pitcher Ashleigh Ralston (Wadsworth H.S.) picked up the win (7-8) in relief after entering the game in the bottom of the eighth with one out and two runners on base and extinguishing the Celtics’ threat by retiring the next two Carlow batters of the inning.  Freshman pitcher Jessica Krska (Norton H.S.) started the game and worked the first 7.1 innings, giving up just three runs on 11 hits while recording a career-high eight strikeouts.  The Pioneers posted eight hits in the contest as Thompson finished 2-for-4 at the plate.  Freshman infielder Sarah Kosmos (Northwest H.S.) also made significant contributions by notching two hits and scoring the game-winning run.

 

This week, Malone (13-21 overall, 7-11 AMC North) will conclude its 2008 campaign on Thursday afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader at local rival Walsh University (28-8 overall, 17-1 AMC North).