West Virginia State Baseball returned to the win column Tuesday, downing Malone 7-6 at Thurman Munson Field.
The Yellow Jackets improve to 9-6 on the season, while the Pioneers slip to 9-11. State took the overall series 2-1 on the year.
WVSU used just five hits in the contest, led by a two-hit performance from freshman Nathan Paulsen. Graduate student Andrew Stone scored twice.
State wasted no time getting on the board, plating three runs in the first inning. Andrew Stone led off the frame with a walk, and then came home on a triple from Paulsen, who then himself scored on a wild pitch. After singling to left center, graduate student Matthew Kline came home on a single through the left side from senior Michael Stone.
Malone used five hits to score five times in the bottom of the frame, and so the game of cat-and-mouse ensued.
State scored thrice in the second, when catcher Dylan Ball scored on a wild pitch after singling his way on. A Pioneers miscue brought home both junior Trey Junkins and A. Stone, putting State ahead 6-5.
The lead was again short lived, as Malone capitalized on a Yellow Jackets error to even the contest at 6-6.
The stalemate remained until the 6th inning, when graduate student Andrew Sharp reached on a throwing error, advanced on a sac bunt from Ball, and scored the go-ahead on a sacrifice fly from A. Stone.