May 7, 2008
|
Pioneers Eliminated From NAIA Region IX Tournament After Dropping Games To Urbana, Mount Vernon NazareneThe Malone College baseball team was knocked out of the four-team, double-elimination NAIA Region IX Tournament on Wednesday at Thurman Munson Stadium after the squad lost single, nine-inning contests to Urbana University (28-19 overall) and Mount Vernon Nazarene University (31-17 overall). The #1 seeded Pioneers (36-13 overall), who earned the right to host the tournament after winning the American Mideast Conference regular-season title, opened Wednesday’s action with a 4-0 loss to fourth-seeded Urbana. Following a thrilling game two in which #2 seed Ohio Dominican University (35-13 overall) outlasted #3 seed Mount Vernon Nazarene University 14-13 in 10 innings, Malone was eliminated from tournament contention with a 9-4 loss to MVNU in day one’s third and final contest.
A two-run triple in the top of the third innning and a two-run homer in the top of the fourth gave the Blue Knights an early 4-0 lead in Wednesday’s opening game. Urbana was then held off the scoreboard over the remainder of the contest, but these four early runs would turn out to be all Blue Knight starting pitcher Jason Hudnall would need as the junior right-hander worked nine shutout innings to lead his squad to the 4-0 win. Hudnall surrendered just seven hits in the complete-game victory while tallying five strikeouts and two walks. Junior right-hander Adam Boudler (Louisville H.S.) started on the mound for Malone and suffered the loss (7-3) after giving up four runs on five hits over 4.1 innings of work. Junior catcher Jon Lutton (Louisville H.S.) and junior third baseman Zac Barson (Canton South H.S.) each posted two base hits for the Pioneers but it was not enough as the hosts stranded eight runners on base and were shutout for the first time all season.
Malone, which was the visiting team in the tournament’s third contest, held an early 3-2 lead over Mount Vernon Nazarene before the Cougars struck for three runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-3 advantage. The Pioneers cut the deficit in half with an unearned run in the top of the fourth, but MVNU answered back in the bottom of the frame, scoring three more times to push its lead to 8-4. Although Malone loaded the bases in two of the final three innings, the squad was unable to bring any additional runs home, falling by the 9-4 final. Junior right-hander Sam Campitella (Jackson H.S.) started for the Pioneers and suffered his first loss of the year (5-1) after surrendering five runs (four earned) on five hits over two innings pitched. Junior second baseman Mike Tozzi (Sandy Valley H.S.) paced the Malone offense by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Junior leftfielder Chris Mandeville (Tuslaw H.S.) and senior centerfielder Troy Richeson (Minerva H.S.) also posted two hits in the contest and both players scored one run apiece.
The NAIA Region IX Tournament will continue tomorrow with two more contests. In game four at 10:00 a.m., Urbana and ODU will square off with the winner earning a berth in Friday’s Championship Game. The loser of game four will take on Mount Vernon Nazarene in a loser’s bracket game (game five), slated for Thursday at 1:00 p.m. The winner of game five will move on to the championship game on Friday while the loser of game five will be eliminated from the tournament.
|
1.800.521.1146