Go-Ahead Home Run Proves Costly As Softball Takes Split Versus Malone

OVERVIEW – Malone

SCORES: Northwood 9, Malone 3/ Northwood 2, Malone 3

RECORDS: Northwood (16-12, 6-4  G-MAC), Malone (17-7, 5-5 G-MAC)

LOCATION: Fisher Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood softball walked away with a series split against Malone on Friday (April 4). Northwood's offense overcame poor defense in game one to earn the 9-3 win in game one. In game two, the offense was quiet as Malone scored one in the seventh and a go-ahead home run in the eighth gave the Pioneers the 3-2 victory.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood escaped a few Malone offensive threats in the first three innings. The Pioneers stranded five over the first three innings.
• The Timberwolves opened the scoring in the third. Gabby Schloop opened the inning with a walk, and another walk from Ashlyn Lundquist put runners on the corners. Ashley Ziel drove them both in with a two-run single up the middle, giving Northwood the 2-0 edge.
• A dropped fly in right brought Ziel home, tacking on another for Northwood in the third, 3-0 NU.
• Malone opened the fourth with two singles and a reach on error. With the bases loaded, the second defensive miscue in the inning cost the Timberwolves a run, 3-1 NU.
• Northwood answered the Pioneer run with two of their own in the bottom of the fourth. NU's back-to-back RBI doubles from Schloop and Lundquist made it 5-1.
• Two more Northwood errors in the fifth brought Malone back with two, 5-3 NU.
• The two-run lead was the closest Malone would get as Gianna Fantin and Chloe Cooper went back-to-back with RBI doubles of their own in the fifth, 7-3 NU.
• Abby Robinson added a two-run single in the sixth, giving NU the 9-3 advantage. Gale and Ziel scored from second and third on the play.
• Brittani Mutter went the final three innings in relief to give Northwood the 9-3 win.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 9/11/6, Malone 3/11/2
• Runners left on base: Northwood 6, Malone 14
• Winning Pitcher – Brynn Polega (9-3) 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R (1 ER), 5 K
• Losing Pitcher – Mia Rose (7-5) 6 IP, 11 H, 9 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 3 K

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Gale: 3-4, 2B, 2 R
• Ziel: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Lundquist: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB, R
• Schloop: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB. 2 R
• Robinson: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Cooper: 1-3, 2B, RBI
• Fantin: 1-2, 2B, RBI, R

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Northwood took the early 1-0 lead in the first. Gale's sac fly drove in Ashlyn Lundquist after her lead-off single to center.
• In the third, Malone scored the equalizer after a lead-off walk came around to score on a fielder's choice to second, 1-1.
• Northwood regained the lead in the sixth. Fantin's RBI single to left center gave Northwood the 2-1 lead late.
• Kamden Binney proved to overmatch the Pioneers over her first six innings of work. Malone had just two hits and three total base runners in the game.
• Although dominant, a seventh-inning rally from Malone tied it at 2-2. Malone's three singles to open the inning match their total for the first six innings. A line drive just over the shortstop's glove brought in the tying run with one out in the seventh.
• Malone tagged a go-ahead home run to left in the eighth, making it the final of 3-2.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors: Northwood 2/9/0, Malone 3/8/1
• Runners left on base: Northwood 9, Malone 6
• Winning Pitcher – Allie Weilnau (10-2) 8 IP, 9 H, 2 R 2
• Losing Pitcher – Brittani Mutter (1-4) 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Fantin: 3-4, RBI
• Lundquist: 2-4, R
• Gale: 1-3, RBI, R
• Schafsnitz: 1-3 , BB

UP NEXT

• Northwood softball heads to Hillsdale to face off with the Chargers on Sunday (April 6). The doubleheader is set to start at 1 p.m. with game two to follow.