WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Point Park University baseball opened its 2020 season on Sunday at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Pioneers won two games over Judson (Ill.) with a 3-2 victory in the opener and an 8-1 triumph in the second game.
GAME 1 -- POINT PARK 3, JUDSON (IL) 2
The Pioneers (2-0) rallied for three runs in their final at bat in the first game. Down 2-0 with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Danilo Leon stroked a two-run single down the left-field line to tie. After a pitching change, Antonio Carrillo came up next with a walk-off single to win.
The Pioneers did not have a hit until Tyler Dobie singled up the middle to begin the last of the seventh. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Leon.
Judson starter Evan Liebau was left with a no-decision even though he took a no-hitter into the seventh. He was replaced after giving up the base hit to Dobie on his first pitch of the inning. He kept the Pioneers off balance with four strikeouts and three walks.
Marco Quintanar (1-0) pitched a complete game for Point Park. He allowed only two runs and four hits. A base hit, a wild pitch and two groundouts gave Judson a 1-0 lead in the second. The Eagles were holding on to that lead all the way until the top of the seventh when Alec MacLennan led off with a solo homer.
GAME 2 -- POINT PARK 8, JUDSON (IL) 1
Point Park scored eight runs over its final three times at bat to erase Judson's 1-0 lead in game two. The Pioneers scored four times in the fifth and twice each in the sixth and seventh. They pounded out 12 hits to back three pitchers who combined to allow just the one run on six hits.
Carrillo had the go-ahead hit again, a three-run homer to put the Pioneers up for good, 4-1, in the fifth. That came directly after Edwin De La Rosa tied the ballgame at 1-1 with a single.
Leon had another strong game going 4 for 4 with two RBIs. He had RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings. De La Rosa was 2 for 4 with two RBIs with an RBI hit in the sixth as well. Cole Horew went 2 for 3 as a third player with a multi-hit game.
Point Park starter Christian Negron (1-0) pitched 4.1 innings and got the victory. He allowed just one run on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks. MacLennan's double was one of two hits for Judson in the third, and it drove in a run.
A couple of walks put Negron in a jam in the fifth. Ryan Huber came in to get the next batter to strikeout and the next to groundout to get out of it. Huber tossed 2.1 scoreless with one hit allowed. Javier Sanchez got the last out of the game as the third pitcher to work.
NEXT GAMES
Point Park continues its stay in Florida with two games on Monday. The Pioneers play NCAA Division II Minnesota Crookston for a doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. Point Park finishes up its trip to the Sunshine State on Tuesday versus Cornerstone (Mich.) for a doubleheader at 12:00 p.m. Point Park opens River States Conference play next Friday and Saturday with a series at Brescia (Ky.).
