Tom Pasinski and the Pioneers have now won 15 games in a row. Point Park File Photo.
BOX SCORE 1, BOX SCORE 2
PITTSBURGH -- Point Park took it to NCAA Division II Clarion in both ends of a non-conference baseball doubleheader on Tuesday at Point Park Field at Green Tree Park winning both games, 14-2 and 6-0.
With the wins, Point Park (24-11, 12-4 KIAC) increased its win streak to 15 in a row. Not only did the Pioneers put up 20 runs on the day, the pitching was also tremendous as their pitchers did not give up an earned run in either game. With those efforts, Point Park pitchers have now gone 36 innings without giving up an earned run, a span of five-plus games.
Point Park put up a ton of offense in Game 1 racking up the 14 runs on 17 hits. The Pioneers were up, 9-0, after three innings and already had 12 hits to that point. Javy Marticorena and Jordan Crowell were both 3 for 4 with two RBIs, and Marticorena doubled three times.
The Pioneers scored all six times they went to the plate with the big inning being a five-run outburst in the third. Marlon Leyva was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Don McDuffee and Tom Birko totaled two hits and an RBI.
Austin Pressly gave up only one run in six innings pitched to get the victory. The transfer from West Virginia who dropped out of the top 4 of the KIAC rotation came up big with a strong outing that included 10 strikeouts, one walk and zero earned runs on four hits. He retired 11 in a row after Point Park gave him a 2-0 lead early.
Point Park's Game 2 starter Bryan Lopez improved to 3-0 and stayed unbeaten in three starts with a complete-game shutout in the nightcap. The Salinas, Puerto Rico, native blanked Clarion on five hits, three strikeouts and no walks. The Golden Eagles didn't get more than one hit in any inning.
Clarion's Game 2 starter Shane Sullivan held Point Park to only one run the first four innings, but he had a rough exit as the Pioneers tagged him for four runs in the span of just a few pitches in the fifth. Point Park scored four runs that inning to stretch out the lead to 5-0.
After Chaz Russo drew a walk to load the bases, the next pitched was lined by Crowell for a two-run double down the line. Yale Sanford then swung away on the first pitch he saw for a sacrifice fly, and Marlon Leyva swung on the first pitch for an RBI single and a 5-0 lead.
Point Park totaled nine hits in the second game with nine different players getting one hit each.
Point Park continues non-conference play at home on Wednesday versus Penn State-Greater Allegheny for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. The single game will be followed by a JV game between the schools.
Follow the Pioneers on Twitter @PointParkSports and Facebook.com/PointParkAthletics
