RUSSELLTON, Pa. -- Point Park University baseball opened its weekend series with Ohio Christian University by registering a 9-0 shutout on Friday at the No Offseason Sports complex in Russellton, Pa. The River States Conference series will shift back to Point Park Field at Green Tree Park on Saturday for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Point Park (21-7, 10-3 RSC) won for the 13th time in a row and ninth straight time in conference. Ohio Christian is 6-18, 2-9 RSC.
Nicholas Beardsley shoved 8.0 innings and combined with Easton Klein on the shutout. Beardsley picked up another eight strikeouts versus zero walks to bring him closer to the Point Park career record. He now has 216 with the record of 219 that has stood for 30 years just a few away.
Beardsley gave up seven hits in his outing with three of them coming in the first and three in the seventh. Both of those times, Beardsley got strikeouts and help from his defense to get out of the jams. A runner was caught stealing in the first, and right fielder Emille Morillo threw out a runner at home in the seventh to kill a rally, keep Point Park's lead at 6-0 and keep the shutout going.
Point Park's offense was powered by Jouseph Renovales and Ed Pfluger, who combined to drive in seven of the nine runs. Renovales was 2 for 5 with four RBIs, three runs and a stolen base from the lead-off spot. Pfluger was 1 for 4 with a two-run homer and an RBI groundout that gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead in the third.
Renovales ripped a two-run double in the sixth and later scored on Morillo's base hit to bump Point Park's lead to 6-0. In the eighth, Renovales smashed an RBI triple. Two batters later, Pfluger's homer to left field made the score 9-0.
Point Park had eight hits as a team with Antonio Carrillo going 2 for 4 with a walk. The Pioneers drew seven walks from seven different hitters.
Klein came on in the ninth and worked around an opening error to retire the Trailblazers in four batters. The Pioneers turned a 6-4-3 double play to end it, their second double play of the game.
