The Malone University baseball team had its 2010 season come to an end on Thursday morning after the squad was eliminated from the ten-team NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) World Series with a 4-0 loss to Southeastern (FL) University.  The Pioneers were seeded third at the NCCAA’s double-elimination postseason tournament that is being held at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.  However, the squad was knocked out of the event with a 6-5 loss to sixth-seeded Olivet Nazarene (IL) University on Wednesday and the 4-0 defeat to the seventh-seeded Flames on Thursday.  Following its first shutout loss of the season, Malone's record fell to 36-20.  Southeastern improved to 33-26 with the victory and will move on to face ninth-seeded Indiana Wesleyan University in another elimination game at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday’s contest remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when the Flames broke the stalemate with a solo run.  Southeastern tacked on another score in the fifth with a one-out single and then took advantage of a pair of wild pitches and a Malone error in the sixth, stretching its lead to 4-0 with two insurance runs.  This was more than enough offense for Flames starting pitcher Matthew Tomlinson as he tossed a complete-game shutout, surrendering just four Pioneer hits while striking out four and walking one over his seven innings of work.  Senior left-handed starting pitcher Todd Liberatore (Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.) went the distance on the mound for Malone and suffered the defeat (8-3) after surrendering four runs (three earned) on seven hits over his six innings pitched.  Senior third baseman Alex Schmid (pictured above; Canton Central Catholic H.S.), sophomore shortstop Joe Goddard (Wadsworth H.S.), sophomore catcher T.J. Rosenberg (United Local H.S.), and sophomore rightfielder Marc Adams (Louisville H.S.) each notched singles to account for the Pioneers’ four base hits.  

The Malone University baseball team suffered a tough 6-5 loss to Olivet Nazarene (IL) University in Mason, Ohio on Wednesday in the opening round of the double-elimination NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) World Series.  The Pioneers, seeded third at the ten-team tournament, entered the bottom of the seventh holding a 5-2 lead but the sixth-seeded Tigers rallied back, scoring four times in the inning to register the walk-off victory.  Malone dropped to 36-19 on the season with the defeat while Olivet Nazarene improved to 33-19-1.

Pioneer junior starting pitcher Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) retired the Tigers’ first batter of the seventh on a strikeout but Olivet Nazarene then loaded the bases with a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.  The next batter of the inning delivered an RBI single to trim the deficit to 5-3 and the Tigers then tied the game 5-5 when two runs crossed the plate on a crucial Malone error.  After an intentional walk, Olivet Nazarene first baseman Adam Hines came through with a walk-off RBI single that gave the Tigers the 6-5 victory. 

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after scoring one run in each of the first two innings on RBI singles by sophomore first baseman Matt Anderson (pictured above; Jackson H.S.) and sophomore leftfielder Sean Gorby (Lancaster H.S.).  Olivet Nazarene fought back to knot the game at 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the fifth before Malone answered in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of a passed ball and two Tiger errors to grab a 5-2 advantage.  The Pioneers were unable to hang on to the lead, though, as ONU advanced to the winners’ bracket with the late rally.  Shenker suffered his second loss of the season (8-2) after allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out five and walking five.  The Pioneers registered seven hits in the contest as senior third baseman Alex Schmid (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) doubled and scored in the top of the sixth while Anderson went 2-for-3 with his RBI single in the first.       

Malone, which will now have to fight through the losers' bracket in order to remain in contention, is set to face Southeastern (FL) University in a 10:00 a.m. elimination game on Thursday at Prasco Park.  The seventh-seeded Flames (32-26 overall) dropped their opening-round contest to tenth-seeded Colorado Christian University on Wednesday by a final score of 5-4.  

The Malone University baseball team was eliminated from the American Mideast Conference Postseason Tournament on Tuesday afternoon after suffering a tough 18-5 loss to the tourney’s top-seeded team, Shawnee State University.  The second-seeded Pioneers jumped ahead 4-0 with four runs in the top of the first before the Bears, who are hosting the three-team double-elimination event at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth, Ohio, took the lead for good with five scores in the bottom of the inning.  Shawnee State went on to tally at least one run in every frame, racking up 19 hits en route to the 18-5 run-rule triumph in seven innings.  The loss dropped Malone’s record to 36-18 while the Bears improved to 29-27. 

Senior third baseman Alex Schmid (pictured above; Canton Central Catholic H.S.) got the top of the first started with a two-out three-run homer.  The next batter of the inning, sophomore catcher T.J. Rosenberg (United Local H.S.), then stepped to the plate and clubbed a solo shot over the fence to give Malone a 4-0 lead.  The Bears answered back immediately, though, plating five runs in the bottom of the inning and one run in the second to pull ahead 6-4.  The Pioneers got one run back in the top of the third on Rosenberg’s two-out RBI double down the leftfield line but it was all Shawnee State the rest of the way.  Malone posted seven hits in the contest as Schmid, Rosenberg and sophomore shortstop Joe Goddard (Wadsworth H.S.) each tallied two hits apiece.

Although they have been eliminated from the NAIA postseason, the Pioneers were seeded second in the most recent NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) national rankings and will now likely receive an at-large bid to participate in the NCCAA National Tournament that will take place May 19-22 at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio.

The Malone University baseball team fell 6-3 to Mt. Vernon Nazarene University on Tuesday afternoon in the opening game of the American Mideast Conference Postseason Tournament at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth, Ohio.  The nine-inning contest was knotted 3-3 after six innings but the Cougars grabbed a 5-3 advantage with a two-run homer in the eighth and then cemented the victory with an insurance run in the ninth.  Malone, seeded second in the three-team double-elimination event, fell to 36-17 overall with the loss while Mt. Vernon Nazarene, the tournament’s third seed, improved to 30-20. 

Malone jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by sophomore shortstop Joe Goddard (pictured above; Wadsworth H.S.).  MVNU fought back to grab the lead in the top of the third, taking advantage of a Malone error with two unearned runs.  The Cougars scored again in the top of the fourth to make it 3-1 but the Pioneers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on a one-out solo homer to left by senior third baseman Alex Schmid (Canton Central Catholic H.S.).  Goddard then crossed the plate with the tying run in the bottom of the sixth after leading off the frame with a double to left, moving to third on a passed ball and then scoring on an infield single by sophomore first baseman Matt Anderson (Jackson H.S.).  Malone was unable to manufacture any additional runs the rest of the way, though, as MVNU added the three late scores to record the victory.  Junior left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Shenker (Twinsburg H.S.) tossed the first eight innings of the contest for the Pioneers and was saddled with his first loss of the season (8-1) after surrendering five runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out five and walking one.  Malone tallied ten hits in the game as Schmid went 2-for-4 with a double and his fourth-inning homer.  In addition, Goddard, Anderson, and junior second baseman Justin Shiflett (Zane Trace H.S.) each notched two hits apiece.                   

The Pioneers will now look to quickly rebound as the squad will take on the tournament’s host, top-seeded Shawnee State University (28-27), on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.  A win over the Bears would assure Malone of a spot in game four or game five of the tournament.  However, a loss would eliminate the Pioneers from the NAIA Postseason.

AMC Tournament Format

The Malone University baseball team wrapped up its regular-season schedule at Thurman Munson Stadium on Saturday morning with a thrilling 9-8 come-from-behind American Mideast Conference win over Shawnee State University.  The contest, a nine-inning make-up game from a rain-out on April 24th, looked to be controlled by the Bears as Shawnee State held early leads of 7-0 and 8-2.  However, the Pioneers, who were playing as the visiting team due to AMC rain-out rules, fought back to win it by scoring seven times over the last three innings.  Junior second baseman Justin Shiflett (pictured left; Zane Trace H.S.) tied the game 8-8 in the eighth with a two-out RBI single. Senior third baseman Alex Schmid (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) then brought home the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth with a clutch one-out single to rightfield.  With the victory, Malone concluded its regular-season schedule with a record of 36-16 overall and 16-8 in the AMC while the Bears fell to 27-26 overall and 16-6 in the conference.  The Pioneers have secured a spot in the three-team AMC Postseason Tournament and will await the outcome of Sunday’s doubleheader between Notre Dame College and Shawnee State to see if they will host the playoff tourney (See Playoff Picture Below).

After falling behind 7-0 early on, Malone managed to get on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth on back-to-back sacrifice flys by Schmid and sophomore catcher T.J. Rosenberg (United Local H.S.).  The Bears made it 8-2 with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth and then managed to maintain their six-run advantage until the top of the seventh when the Pioneers erupted for five runs.  After sophomore rightfielder Marc Adams (Lousiville H.S.) and sophomore leftfielder Sean Gorby (Lancaster H.S.) each reached base on one-out singles, Shiflett brought home the first run of the inning with an infield single.  Sophomore shortstop Joe Goddard (Wadsworth H.S.) was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.  After the Bears went to the bullpen, sophomore first baseman Matt Anderson (Jackson H.S.) greeted the reliever with a two-run single to center.  Junior designated hitter Corey Hartong (Dalton H.S.) plated Goddard with another single to center and Anderson then crossed the plate with the fifth run of the frame on a Shawnee State throwing error.  After the first two Pioneer batters of the eighth were retired, Gorby ripped a double to left and then came home to knot the game 8-8 on Shiflett’s single through the left side of the infield.  Anderson got the ninth inning started with a single to right.  Pinch runner Kyle Sprague (Madison H.S.) later moved to second on a balk and then touched home with the winning run on Schmid’s big hit.  Shawnee State put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before freshman pitcher Jared Messer (Perry H.S.) induced a groundout to preserve the 9-8 victory and earn his second save of the season.  Sophomore right-handed pitcher Camden Carter (Lake H.S.) picked up his first win of the year (1-2) after tossing four innings of scoreless relief.  Malone totaled 13 hits in the contest as Shiflett went 3-for-5 with a pair of important RBI’s.  In addition, Anderson, Schmid, and Gorby each added two hits apiece.              

Playoff Picture: The top three finishers in the final regular-season standings will qualify for the double-elimination AMC Postseason Tournament that will take place May 11-12 at the field of the regular-season champion.  The winner of this event will receive the conference’s lone automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round 

With its regular-season complete, Malone has secured a spot in the postseason and is currently in second place in the AMC standings, one game behind first-place Shawnee State.  If Notre Dame sweeps Sunday’s doubleheader with the Bears, then the tournament will be held at Thurman Munson Stadium.  However, if Notre Dame loses either of the contests, then Shawnee State will host the tournament at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth, Ohio.