Baseball | 3/2/2021 9:00:00 PM

Box Score     MASON, Ohio – A promising ninth-inning rally fell short here Tuesday as the West Liberty University baseball team opened the 2021 season with a 6-3 loss to Malone (Ohio) in a mutual season opener at Prasco Park.
    The Pioneers opened up a 5-0 lead midway through the scheduled 9-inning game but Coach Eric Burkle's Hilltoppers found a way to get back in the game.
    After a two-run single by Kaden Blomquist in the bottom of the fifth put West Liberty on the board, neither team scored again until Malone pushed across a single tally in the top of the ninth.
    The Hilltoppers didn't go away quietly. Taking advantage of some control issues in the Pioneer bullpen, West Liberty scored a single run and loaded the bases to bring the winning run to the plate with two out.
    Jason Schutte ripped a low screamer up the middle only to see it slam into the pitcher's foot and carom directly to the first baseman for the game's final out.
    West Liberty managed only three hits on the afternoon. Brian Campbell had a double and Isaac Rine chipped in with a single. Logan Grimm had a solid four-inning relief stint on the mound, holding Malone to just one run while fanning five and giving up only one walk.
    The Hilltoppers and Pioneers return to Prasco Park on Wednesday for a noon doubleheader.
  Malone (Ohio)                                 220 010 001 – 6  9  1
West Liberty                                     000 020 001 – 3  3  3
     MU: Walker wp (3SO, 2W), Davis (6) (4SO, 5W), Cooper (7) (0SO, 0W) and Yoder. Crank 2S, rbi; Balzano D, 2rbi; Gingerich S, rbi; King S, rbi
     WLU: T.Blomquist lp (3SO, 2W), Grimm (3) (5SO, 1W), Pennybacker (7) (0SO, 1W) and Rine. K.Blomquist S, 2rbi; Campbell D; Rine S