MIDWAY, Ky. -- Point Park University baseball won at Midway (Ky.) University, 9-6, on Friday in the opening game of the River States Conference series. Tyler Dobie's pinch-hit, three-run homer broke a 6-6 tie in the Pioneers' four-run top of the eighth. Then Ryan Huber finished off his near-perfect relief outing to get the win.
Point Park (9-7, 5-2 RSC) was trailing, 6-5, when it came to bat in the eighth. Ed Pfluger, who was 3 for 4, led off with a base hit. After Alejandro Pelaez was hit by a pitch, the tying run came in to score when Levi Martin laid down a bunt and reached on a throwing error.
Then Dobie was called upon to pinch hit, and his three-run shot to left field made it 9-6. It was his third homer of the year.
The lead was more than enough for Huber, who retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced in his relief outing. Huber pitched the final 4.1 innings to improve to 5-0. Only an infield hit with two outs in the bottom of the ninth kept it from being a perfect outing. But Huber got a strikeout to end the game and leave the tying run on deck. He struck out four and walked none.
Midway (11-11, 2-5 RSC) went in front, 6-5, by scoring five runs with two outs in the fifth. The third out proved to be the toughest, but Huber came on to get out of that inning by picking off a runner at first. He kept the Eagles at six runs by retiring them in order in the sixth, seventh and eighth and allowing just the one hit and facing four batters in the ninth.
Point Park built a 5-1 lead through four innings. The first two came in the second inning, which including two hits and three walks. Julio Creazzola drew a bases-loaded walk, and Cole Horew followed with a base hit to make it 2-0. Point Park put together three runs in the fourth with Erik Montero's single pushing home a run and Jake Forgrave stroking a two-run single, both of which came with two outs.
Midway had five hits in its big fifth inning. Koy Lindsey smashed a two-run double, and Francis Mejia's double brought home another run. The Eagles went ahead when two runs came home on Haden Fox's infield hit.
Point Park starter Felix Castillo pitched the first 4.2 innings. Five of the eight hits he gave up came in his fifth inning of work. Midway starter Gus Garrison got through 6.0 innings and had the lead when he left. That was with six hits, four walks and six strikeouts in his outing.
Point Park and Midway finish the series with games two and three on Saturday. The action begins at 12 p.m. with a nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning game for the second half of the doubleheader. Live video and live stats will be provided by Midway with links at PointParkSports.com.
