PITTSBURGH -- Things did not go as planned for Point Park University baseball in its home opener on Saturday at Point Park Field at Green Tree Park. The Pioneers got very leaky in the late innings and a 3-0 deficit turned into an 11-0 loss to IU Southeast in the opening game of a River States Conference series.
The game was scheduled for nine innings but ended after seven due to the 10-run rule. That went into effect with the Grenadiers (18-9, 7-3 RSC) scoring five times in the top of the seventh. The Pioneers (11-10, 6-4 RSC) had been within 3-0 just a couple innings prior, but IU Southeast stretched things out with some key hits backing up some mix ups by the Point Park defense.
A fly ball on the infield should have gotten the Pioneers out of the fifth but instead found grass as two runs scored to make the score 5-0. That closed the book on Pioneers' starting pitcher Felix Castillo, who pitched into the fifth inning. Only two of the five runs charged to him were earned as the defense committed four errors behind him.
The five-run seventh inning for IU Southeast had the Pioneers unable to come up with Dalton Mitchell's blooper to shallow center field. It instead went for a two-run double. Santrel Farmer made that sting two batters later with a two-run double off the wall in left to enact the 10-run rule.
Point Park was unable to get on the scoreboard with IU Southeast getting clean performances from winning pitcher Chas Adams and also the defense. Adams went all 7.0 innings while giving up five hits. He worked around some early jams and settled in to strike out seven and walk none.
The Pioneers had early chances but left runners in scoring position in the first and second innings. Later on, IU Southeast came up with a pair of double plays to snuff out a couple of potential rallies. The first one ended the fourth, and the second one ended the game. Both times, the Pioneers had runners at first and second with one out.
Games 2 & 3 of the series will be Sunday for a doubleheader at 12 p.m. Admission is free for all home games. Watch Live on the Point Park Sports Network and follow live stats on Dakstats. Follow the Pioneers online at PointParkSports.com and on social media @PointParkSports and @PPUBaseball.
