BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Point Park University softball dropped a couple of close games at WVU Tech on Tuesday. The Pioneers lost both ends of the River States Conference doubleheader, 2-1 and 5-3.
Point Park continues its mid-week road trip at first-place Rio Grande (Ohio) on Wednesday for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Point Park (14-16, 8-8 RSC) remains in second place in the RSC East Division with WVU Tech (12-16, 6-8 RSC) moving into third with Tuesday's results.
WVU TECH 2, POINT PARK 1
The Golden Bears got both of their runs in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Kay'lee Justice, and it stood up in the win. The big hit came with two outs and was one of four hits in the inning.
That was all WVU Tech got versus Point Park starter Angalee Beall, who allowed just three hits the rest of the way. Beall pitched 6.0 innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Pioneers cut the deficit in half with Hailey Leitner's RBI single in the fourth. The inning started with Jada Simon's base hit and a bunt by Alex Bondi.
Point Park had a couple of chances in the later innings but could not convert. The Pioneers left runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. WVU Tech's Taylor Dickerson got the win after giving up nine hits in 7.0 innings. She had one strikeout and one walk.
WVU TECH 5, POINT PARK 3
The Pioneers got right to work with two runs in the top of the first inning. Jada Simon singled in both of those runs with a base hit. The first four batters all reached for Point Park with Taylor Goldstrohm leading off with a double, Maddie Horn being hit with a pitch and Jodi Frontino getting on via an error on her sacrifice bunt.
WVU Tech responded with two runs to tie in the bottom half. The Golden Bears strung together three hits with two outs to knot things up at 2-2 early on.
The Golden Bears later built a 5-2 lead through five innings. Although Simon hit a solo homer in the Point Park sixth, that's as close as the Pioneers would get.
Winning pitcher Courtney Miles limited Point Park to just four hits, two of which came from her pitching counterpart Simon. Miles had three strikeouts and no walks. Simon pitched all 6.0 innings for Point Park. She had two strikeouts and a walk.
