Baseball Splits Pair At Malone

CANTON, OHIO – The Northwood University baseball team went 1-1 against Malone in a pair of games Sunday afternoon (April 3). The Timberwolves won game one 18-11 before the Pioneers took game two 8-3.

Northwood is now 14-10 overall, 4-2 in the GLIAC. Malone is 12-10 overall, 4-2 in the GLIAC.

The opening game was started yesterday but was suspended due to poor weather. The game was stopped in the bottom of the fourth inning with Malone leading 6-3. The two teams were supposed to play two more game in the series, but those games were cancelled due to more bad weather forecasted to arrive in the Canton area on Monday.

Game one was controlled by Malone early and Northwood late. The Pioneers scored four in the first inning to take the lead. After the Timberwolves scored three in the third, Malone scored one in the third and one in the fourth to go up 6-3 when play was suspended. Once play resumed, the Pioneers opened up their lead even more in the fifth with three more runs to make the score 9-3. The key inning of the contest proved to the sixth when NU scored seven runs to lead. The game was tied 10-10 heading to the eighth inning when Northwood put the victory away. The Timberwolves scored three in the eighth and five more in the ninth to finish with a season-high 18 runs.

Northwood also finished with season-highs in hits (21) and home runs in the game (three). The long ball was a big part of the game for both teams, as Malone hit four home runs of their own.

Richie O'Neil (Wheaton, Ill./College of DuPage) led the way for Northwood in the game, going 4-6 with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs. Connor Foley (Bay City, Mich./Western) went 4-5 with two RBIs, while Daniel Pulver (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) had three RBIs. Nate Boschma (Hudsonville, Mich.) came off the bench to hit a three-run homer. Shawn Larner (Gladwin, Mich./Alma College) picked up his second win of the season in relief, allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Northwood's offense came out strong in game two, plating three runs in the opening two innings. But that would prove to be the final offense of the day for the Timberwolves, as NU was held off the board in the final seven innings. Malone scored one in the second, four in the third and added single-runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings to earn the win.

The Pioneers out-hit Northwood 13-5 for the game. The Timberwolves did have five walks and stole six bases, but Malone's three home runs in the contest proved to be the key to the victory.

Five different Timberwolves had one single each in the game. Dustin Lee (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) had a hit, a run scored, and RBI and two stolen bases to lead the way.

Northwood will travel to Hillsdale for a weekend series April 9-10. Saturday's doubleheader will get under way at 1 p.m.