May 3, 2008

Pioneers Defeat Notre Dame 10-0 As Four Malone Pitchers Combine To Toss A No-Hitter

 
The Malone College baseball team wrapped up its 2008 regular-season schedule on Saturday evening under the lights at Thurman Munson Stadium with a convincing 10-0, run-rule victory over visiting Notre Dame (OH) College.  Senior starting pitcher Zach Winkhart (Canton Central Catholic H.S.) combined with fellow pitchers Adam Boudler (Jr., Louisville H.S.), Todd Liberatore (So., Tusc. Central Catholic H.S.), and Sam Campitella (Jr., Jackson H.S.) to hold the Falcons hitless in the seven-inning triumph.  With the non-conference win on “Senior Night”, the Pioneers improved their record to 36-11 overall (21-5 American Mideast Conference).  Malone has already clinched a berth in next week’s four-team AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament and is still alive in the chase for the AMC regular-season title. See Playoff Picture Below
 
The Pioneers racked up 15 hits in Saturday’s contest as they pulled away for the convincing victory.  Senior outfielders Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw H.S.), Troy Richeson (Minerva H.S.) and John Stallings (Louisville H.S.) led the way for the Malone offense as the trio accounted for seven base hits and seven runs scored.  Mandeville went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a homer, Richeson was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a two-run double, while Stallings went 2-for-2 with a double, two steals, and four runs scored.  Junior catcher Jon Lutton (Louisville H.S.) and freshman second baseman Justin Shiflett (Zane Trace H.S.) also made significant offensive contributions as Lutton tallied two hits with four runs batted in and Shiflett went 2-for-2 with a two-run single, one run scored, and one stolen base.  Winkhart worked the first three innings on the mound to notch his fifth victory of the season (5-0).  Boudler followed with two hitless innings, Liberatore retired the side in the sixth and then Campitella completed the no-hitter with a perfect top of the seventh. 
 
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 regular-season schedule complete, Malone remains second in the AMC standings behind first-place Ohio Dominican University.  The Panthers won both of their games with Urbana University on Saturday afternoon to improve their record to 34-11 overall with a 20-3 mark in the AMC.  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 three conference games remaining on its schedule (two more against Urbana University on Sunday afternoon and one make-up game against the University of Rio Grande that, if necessary, will be played on Monday) and needs to win at least two of those three games in order to secure the AMC regular-season title (Malone would finish first only if Ohio Dominican loses more than one of its three remaining games).
 
Pioneer Notes: Malone needs four more wins to tie the Pioneer single-season record for victories (40 wins in 2006)…With a .359 team batting average, the 2008 squad is on pace to shatter the current single-season record of .332, set by the 2001 squad…Chris Mandeville, currently batting .439 with 17 doubles, is threatening the Malone individual season records for both batting average and two-base hits (Todd Carmer batted .452 in 1989 and Bob Dubovec smacked 19 doubles in 2006)…10 different Pioneers are batting over .300 this season (minimum 50 at-bats)… Nine different players have driven in 20 or more runs, five different players have stolen 10 or more bases…the squad has won 21 of its last 25 games…The Pioneers have been hit by opponents’ pitches 43 times so far this season which surpasses the previous record of 37 (set in 2006)...Malone has ripped 10 or more hits in nine of its last 12 games (the squad has tallied 10 or more base hits 25 times so far this year).
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