KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Point Park University softball got out to a big lead early and beat Cleary (Mich.) University, 9-6, on Sunday for the first win of the season. The victory started Day 2 at The Spring Games for the Pioneers, who opened their season on Saturday.

After absorbing tough losses to Floriday teams Florida National, 9-1, and Warner (Fla.), 7-0, on Saturday, the Pioneers were looking to turn things around on Sunday. And by getting out to an 8-0 lead after four innings, they did just that versus Cleary. Despite a 7-1 loss later in the day to Michigan-Dearborn, it was a better day for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers scored three times in the top of the first to set the tone versus Cleary. Taylor Goldstrohm reached on an error and stole second before Carissa Sckeres reached on a walk. Groundouts by Alex Bondi and Hailey Leitner each brought home a run, and Sydnie Reese's RBI double capped off the inning at 3-0.

Freshman Melanie Taylor was 2 for 4. She hit a home run in the second inning and also delivered a double in the fourth to spark a four-run inning. Goldstrohm followed with a two-run single. Sckeres singled and later scored on a wild pitch as the top two hitters in the order caused havoc all game. Sckeres was 2 for 4 with three runs.

Angalee Beall pitched into the fifth inning and earned the victory. She left with a 7-2 lead and was charged with two runs on five hits. Remi Koi pitched the last 2.2 innings as the Pioneers held off a late charge from Cleary, which scored three times in the fifth and three more in the seventh.

Point Park continues its stay at The Spring Games with six more games this coming week. The Pioneers play two games apiece in Monday, Wednesday and Thursday beginning with Monday's matchups with Mt. Vernon Nazarene (10 a.m.) and a rematch with Michigan-Dearborn at 12:15 p.m.

Watch Live on FloSoftball for streaming video coverage of The Spring Games. Links available at PointParkSports.com/Live.