PITTSBURGH -- Point Park University baseball completed its 13-game homestand with two wins over Shawnee State (Ohio) on Tuesday at Point Park Field at Green Tree Park. The Pioneers went 11-2 during the home stretch to improve to 26-9 overall.
Point Park won the first game, 6-3, and took the nightcap, 9-6. The Pioneers head out on the road for a River States Conference series at Midway (Ky.) University on Friday and Saturday. Point Park will see Shawnee State again on Monday for a road doubleheader.
POINT PARK 6, SHAWNEE STATE 3
The Pioneers did all their scoring the first two innings with three in the first and three in the second, and it was enough. Ed Pfluger, who was 2 for 4, delivered an RBI single for the first run, and Carlos Sanchez ripped a two-run single with two outs as part of his 2 for 3 outing.
Jouseph Renovales hit a two-run double in the second. He then stole third and later raced home on a wild pitch to make the score 6-0.
Jonathan Pacheco (4-0) got the victory pitching into the seventh inning. He gave up three runs, two of which were earned. He allowed five hits, one of which was a solo homer by George Duran that cut the score to 6-1 in the third.
Shawnee State (18-17) got two more runs in the sixth to get closer at 6-3. The Pioneers went to the bullpen after a hit batter with one out in the Shawnee State seventh. Easton Klein came on and induced a double play by the only batter he faced to end it and earn the save.
POINT PARK 9, SHAWNEE STATE 6
The Pioneers struck early once again with three in the first. Carlos Sanchez, who went 2 for 3 for the second time on the day, started the scoring with an RBI base hit. Luis Hernandez followed with a two-run double. He was 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles.
Shawnee State went out in front, 4-3, thanks to Jacob Kline's solo homer in the third. It was the first of two homers in the game for Kline, a shortstop who has 12 on the year.
But Point Park's Emille Morillo belted a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Pioneers the lead for good, 5-4. The Pioneers tacked on four more in the sixth to lead by as much as 9-4. The big hits were another RBI double from Hernandez and Edwin De La Rosa's two-run double.
Kline hit a two-run homer in the Shawnee State seventh to get within 9-6. But Klein was there to pick up his second save of the day with 2.0 innings of work in what was a 5-4 game when he came in.
Point Park starter Christian Negron earned the victory in 5.0 innings. Two of the four runs he gave up were earned, and he registered three strikeouts and one walk.
