The Malone College men's tennis team posted an 8-1 victory at Penn State University-Behrend last Saturday to close out an outstanding record season with an overall record of 15-5 and a perfect 5-0 record in the American Mideast Conference. Having finished first in the final regular-season standings among the six-team AMC field, Malone has earned the top seed in the four-team AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament May 1-2.
Scores for the match against Penn-State on Saturday were as follows:
#1 Jason Christman (Sr., McKinley H.S.) W 6-0, 6-0
#2 Kyle Bowers (Jr., Norwalk H.S.) W 6-2, 6-1
#3 David Cairns (Fr., Strongsville, OH) W 6-3, 6-1
#4 Nathaniel Rodd (So., Canton, OH) W 6-1, 6-2
#5 Tim Springirth (Jr., Erie, PA) W 6-2, 6-4
#6 Tim Frazier (So., Beaver Falls, PA) W 6-2, 6-2
#1 Christman/Bowers W 8-3
#2 Cairns/Rodd W 8-2
#3 Springirth/Dan Yard (Sr., Louisville H.S.) L 8-6
This week, Malone (15-5, 5-0 AMC) will compete in the AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament, hosted by Walsh University, on Thursday, May 1st and Friday, May 2nd. In first-round action on Thursday, top seeded Malone will host #4 seed Ohio Dominican University (9-6, 2-3 AMC) at the Harvard Courts in Canton (behind the Stark County North Branch library on 25th St. NW) while #2 Walsh University (9-7, 4-1 AMC) will host #3 Cedarville University (10-6, 3-2 AMC) on Walsh's home courts on its campus. Both matches begin at 1:00 p.m. On Friday, the two winners will meet at 1:00 p.m. on the Walsh courts in the AMC/NAIA Region IX Championships. The winner of that championship match will earn an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama May 12-16.
Baseball Posts 2-2 Record In Four Games With Mount Vernon Nazarene
The Malone College baseball team extended its winning streak to 13 games on Tuesday afternoon by sweeping both contests of its American Mideast Conference home twinbill with Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The Pioneers won a back-and-forth battle 9-8 in the opener and then tallied a 5-0 triumph in the nightcap as junior right-handed starting pitcher Adam Boudler (Louisville H.S.) tossed an eight-hit shutout. Malone’s lengthy winning streak came to a close on Saturday, however, as the squad suffered two hard-fought defeats at MVNU by final scores of 11-10 and 11-6. With the 2-2 week, the Pioneers wrapped up their 26-game American Mideast Conference regular-season schedule with a 21-5 record (33-11 overall). Malone, ranked 20th in the most recent NAIA national poll, has three non-conference games left to play before the postseason begins and is now in second place in the conference standings. The Pioneers have clinched a berth in the four-team AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament and are still alive in the chase for the AMC regular-season title (see Playoff Picture below).
Mount Vernon Nazarene pulled out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the third inning of game one on Tuesday with a sacrifice fly and a towering three-run homer by third baseman Richey Burgos. Malone responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame and then took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single by junior catcher Jon Lutton (Louisville H.S.). An MVNU RBI groundout knotted the score at 5-5 in the top of the fifth but Malone answered back in its half of the inning, retaking the lead on a two-out, run-scoring single by junior third baseman Zac Barson (Canton South H.S.). A wild pitch and an error brought two more runs home for the Cougars in the top of the sixth, putting the visitors on top 7-6. The back-and-forth battle continued in the bottom of the inning, however, as Malone re-tied the contest on a one-out squeeze bunt by freshman second baseman Justin Shiflett (Zane Trace H.S.) and then pulled ahead 9-7 with a pair of two-out, run-scoring singles by senior centerfielder Troy Richeson (Minerva) and junior first baseman Ryan Baechel (GlenOak H.S.). Burgos led off the top of the seventh with his second homer of the game but freshman reliever Bryan Bayer (Fairless H.S.), who had entered the contest with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, then held the Cougars off the scoreboard over the remainder of the inning to preserve the 9-8 victory and notch his fourth win of the season (4-1). The Pioneers registered 14 hits in the game as Lutton led the way, going 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBI and one run scored. Richeson, junior shortstop Scott McIlvain (Marlington H.S.) and senior outfielders John Stallings (Louisville H.S.) and Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw H.S.) also made significant offensive contributions with two hits apiece.
A sacrifice fly by Lutton and a two-out RBI double by Shiflett gave Malone an early 2-0 advantage in game two. The Pioneers then tacked on one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth en route to the 5-0 triumph. Boudler shined on the mound, recording his team-high seventh win of the season (7-2) after working seven shutout innings. Boudler struck out three and walked two while scattering eight hits in his second complete game of the year. Malone collected 12 hits in the contest as Mandeville went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored. Senior designated hitter Zach Winkhart (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs batted in while Shiflett also went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Malone entered the bottom of the third inning of game one on Saturday with a 5-0 lead before Mt. Vernon Nazarene exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 advantage. The host Cougars then tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Burgos crushed his second three-run homer of the game to stretch his squad’s lead to 10-5. Malone slowly chipped away at the sizable deficit over the next three innings, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth, one run in the top of the sixth, and eventually tying the game at 10-10 in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Mandeville. The Cougars spoiled the Pioneers comeback in the bottom of the seventh, though, as MVNU loaded the bases with no outs and then brought the winning run home on a single to leftfield. Freshman lefty Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) was credited with the loss (2-1) after tossing two innings of relief, giving up the unearned run in the bottom of the seventh following a pair of Pioneer fielding miscues. Richeson led the way for Malone offensively, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a three-run homer, and a total of six runs batted in. Stallings went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases while Mandeville, Baechel, Barson, and Shiflett each contributed two hits apiece.
Mount Vernon Nazarene jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the nightcap with a three-run homer in the first inning and a RBI double in the second. Malone trimmed the Cougar lead to 4-3 with three runs in the top of the third before MVNU put the game out of reach in the bottom of the frame with another seven-run outburst. The Pioneers countered with three runs in the top of the fifth but it was not enough to overcome the sizable deficit as Mount Vernon went on to record the 11-6 triumph. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) started on the mound and suffered his first loss of the season (6-1) after surrendering eight runs (five earned) over two innings of work. Malone registered 10 hits in the game as Baechel went 2-for-2 with one run scored while Winkhart plated two runs with a one-run double and a RBI groundout.
This week, Malone (33-11 overall, 21-5 AMC) will wrap up its regular season schedule with three non-conference games. The squad will travel to NCAA Division III Baldwin-Wallace College (17-6-1 overall) on Thursday afternoon for a single, nine-inning contest at 1:00 p.m. The Pioneers will then host Notre Dame (Ohio) College (18-20 overall, 9-13 AMC) on Saturday evening in a 7:00 p.m. doubleheader at Thurman Munson Stadium. Saturday will be Senior Night as seniors Jimmy Dowling (Tuslaw H.S.), Chris Mandeville, Josh McKeivier (Strasburg Franklin H.S.), Troy Richeson, John Stallings, Scott Taylor (Lake H.S.), and Zach Winkhart will be honored before the start of game one.
Playoff Picture: This year, the top four finishers in the AMC regular-season standings will qualify for the double-elimination, AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament. The event will be held May 7-9 at the highest seed (AMC regular-season champion). The tournament winner advances to the NAIA Super Regional where it will face the NAIA Region X Champion in a best-of-three playoff series.
With its AMC regular-season complete at 21-5, Malone is now second in the conference standings behind first-place Ohio Dominican University. The Panthers, possessing a 32-11 overall record and an 18-3 mark in the AMC, took over the top spot this past weekend by sweeping a pair of doubleheaders with Shawnee State University. The Pioneers defeated ODU in both of their meetings earlier this season and therefore hold the tiebreaker with the Panthers, should the two teams finish with identical final regular-season records. ODU has five conference games remaining on its schedule (four against Urbana University and one make-up game against the University of Rio Grande) and needs to win at least four of those five games in order to secure the AMC regular-season title (Malone would finish first only if Ohio Dominican loses more than one of its five remaining games).
Softball Drops Pair Of Games At Notre Dame, Splits Senior Day Twinbill With Carlow
The Malone College softball team lost both games of its American Mideast Conference North Division make-up doubleheader at Notre Dame (OH) College on Monday afternoon, falling 6-4 in the opener and 10-6 in the nightcap. The squad then dropped the opening game of its home AMC North doubleheader with Carlow (PA) University on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 3-1 before rallying in game two to tally a 4-3, eight-inning victory. Prior to participating in their final home conference games on Saturday, 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 the 2-2 week, the Pioneers’ record now stands at 13-21 overall with a 7-11 mark in the AMC North.
In game one on Monday, the host Falcons held a 5-2 advantage after three innings before sophomore second baseman Leslie McCammon (Wadsworth H.S.) pulled Malone back into the contest with a two-out, two-run homer. The score then remained unchanged until the bottom of the sixth when Notre Dame tacked on another run to push its advantage to 6-4. The Pioneers threatened in the top of the seventh by putting two on base with two outs but the squad was then unable to bring the runners home, falling by the 6-4 final. Junior pitcher Ashleigh Ralston (Wadsworth H.S.) started and took the loss after surrendering five runs on five hits over 2.2 innings of work. Malone registered five hits in the contest as sophomore rightfielder Laura Blackburn (Thomas Worthington H.S.) went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and an RBI double.
The Falcons took command of Monday’s second contest in the early going by plating ten runs over the first four innings. Malone responded with three runs in the top of the fifth and one run in the top of the seventh but it was not enough to overcome Notre Dame’s early offensive outburst as the Falcons held on for the 10-6 win. Bzdafka started and suffered the loss after giving up eight runs on eight hits over 2.1 innings pitched. Sophomore leftfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) paced the Malone offense in the nightcap as she went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, two runs scored, and three runs batted in. Locker went 3-for-3 and also scored two runs while McCammon tallied two hits in three at-bats with a double and one run scored.
In Saturday’s opener, a two-run homer over the leftfield fence gave Carlow an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first inning. 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 Blackburn. 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, Heacock, and freshman catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary 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 Saturday’s 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 their 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. Ralston 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).
Track & Field Athletes Compete At Hillsdale Relays
The Malone College men's and women's track & field teams sent athletes to the Hillsdale College Relays in Hillsdale, Michigan last Friday and Saturday with numerous Pioneers posting NAIA national qualifying marks.
For the men’s team, Ryan Kienzle (Sr., GlenOak H.S.) placed fourth in the 5000 meters with an NAIA auto qualifying time of 14:22.92. His time is currently the 2nd fastest in the NAIA. In the 3000-meter steeplechase, Aaron Melhorn (Fr., Fairless H.S.) finished sixth with a national auto qualifying time of 9:06.54, a time that is currently tops in the NAIA.
James Zeuch (Fr., Galion H.S.) also notched an auto qualifying time in the 5000 meters as he finished 10th in a time of 9:20.27 while Chris Sinick (So., Field H.S.) posted an auto qualifying time of 3:54.27 in the 1500 meters.
Other top efforts for the weekend included Mike Coates (Sr., Sandy Valley H.S.) and Nik Schweikert (Jr., Beavercreek H.S.) in the 1500 meters with times of 3:57.67 and 4:07.73, respectively. Also, in the 5000 meters, Matt Nichols (Fr., Crestwood H.S.), Justin Baum (Sr., Kenston H.S.) and Evan Gaynor (So., Delta H.S.) pocketed respective times of 15:19.43, 15:44.11 and 15:52.98.
This week, the Malone teams will compete in the NCCAA National Championships, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University, in Marion, Indiana.
