BUTLER, Pa. -- No. 16 Point Park University pitched two shutouts to beat Asbury (Ky.) University, 11-0 and 4-0, and begin their River States Conference baseball series on Monday at Kelly Automotive Park in Butler, Pa.
The Pioneers (21-2, 11-0 RSC) and Eagles (9-14, 1-10 RSC) conclude the series on Tuesday with the third game at Consol Energy Park in Washington, Pa., at 12 p.m.
POINT PARK 11, ASBURY 0
The first game ended after seven innings due to the 10-run rule, but it was just a 1-0 lead for Point Park before it erupted for six runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth.
Point Park starting pitcher Nicholas Beardsley did well to protect the slim lead of 1-0. He threw six scoreless innings to earn the victory and improve to 4-1 on the year. He stranded two runners each in the second, fourth and fifth innings mainly with the strikeout to do so. He struck out seven, walked one and allowed only four hits.
Asbury had runners at second and third with no outs in the second, but Beardsley struck out the next three batters to end the threat. A big play came in the top of the fifth with Point Park right fielder Edberg Dominguez threw out Josh Owlsey at the plate and keep the score 1-0.
Asbury starter Logan Reitter did not give up an earned run the first four innings, but the Pioneers got to him in the fifth. Chris Hernandez, Erik Montero, Jake Horew and Edberg Dominguez all drove in runs with base hits in the fifth. Ben Herstine added a sacrifice fly.
Dominguez was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, which included an RBI single in the sixth. The next batter was Yuri Sucart, who made the score 11-0 and put the 10-run in effect with his two-run double to deep center field. Jake Horew ended up 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs. Montero was 2 for 3.
Ryan Huber pitched the seventh inning to finish off the game and combine on the four-hit shutout with Beardsley.
POINT PARK 4, ASBURY 0
Felix Castillo and Addison Domingo combined to strike out 12 Asbury hitters and post another shutout in the nightcap, a seven-inning game. Castillo (5-0) pitched the first 5.0 innings with nine strikeouts and two walks. He gave up only three hits in his scoreless outing.
Domingo came into the game with the score 3-0, and he earned his fifth save of the year by pitching the sixth and seventh innings. He allowed one hit, struck out three and walked none.
Chris Hernandez smashed a solo homer to right field in the third inning to give Point Park a 3-0 lead. Ben Herstine went 2 for 3 with an RBI single in the second inning, which made the score 2-0. Cole Horew was 2 for 4, and he delivered a run-scoring single in the sixth to pad the lead to 4-0.
Asbury starter Blake Hacker (2-6) took the loss in a complete game of 6.0 innings. He gave up four runs (three earned), seven hits and three walks.
Castillo struck out six of the first eight batters he faced in the game. He picked off a runner to get out of a jam in the third, and he got a double play to erase a lead-off single in the fourth.
FOLLOW THE PIONEERS
Follow Point Park baseball at PointParkSports.com and on social media @PointParkSports and @PPUBaseball.
