KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Point Park University softball dropped a pair of River States Conference games to visiting Ohio Christian University on Saturday from Fairhaven Park. The Pioneers started out their home weekend with tough losses of 5-3 and 13-8.

Point Park (9-11, 2-4 RSC) had its chances in both games, but Ohio Christian (12-14, 8-4 RSC) had consistent hitting all day to stay ahead throughout.

The Pioneers continue their RSC weekend series by hosting (RV) Rio Grande (Ohio) on Sunday at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader. Rio Grande won twice at Carlow on Saturday night.

OHIO CHRISTIAN 5, POINT PARK 3
The Trailblazers held on for victory in the opener. Ohio Christian built a 5-0 lead and withstood a late rally attempt from the Pioneers, which saw Point Park score once in the sixth and twice in the seventh. Runners being cut down on the bases played big factors in both of those innings, however.

Ohio Christian starter Emma Hastings held Point Park scoreless the first 5.0 innings and allowed just four hits. But she walked the first two batters of the sixth to end her day.

Point Park's Sydnie Reese, who was 2 for 3, stroked an RBI single to cut the score to 5-1 in the sixth. Later in the inning, a runner was caught at the plate trying to advance on a wild pitch, and a strikeout came next to keep things there. It was Trailblazers reliever Hilarie Spitler who got out of the sixth and finished off the game in the seventh.

The Pioneers were back at it in their last of the seventh. Still trailing 5-1, base hits by Melanie Taylor and Cameron Meier and then a walk to Jodi Frontino loaded the bases with no outs. Two batters later, Carissa Scekeres delivered an RBI single to make the score 5-2. Sckeres was 2 for 3.

Angalee Beall then smashed a sacrifice fly to deep right-center field. Although a run scored to make the score 5-3, the last out came on the base paths as center fielder Hasting started an 8-3-5 double play to end the game.

Spitler gave up four hits in her eventful 2.0 innings. Point Park reliever Remi Koi pitched the final 5.0 innings giving up eight hits and holding Ohio Christian to two runs during that time. She didn't give up a run until the sixth when Emma Dammayer hit an RBI double and Hastings followed with a run-scoring single. Angalee Beall took the loss in 2.0 innings as the Point Park starter.

OHIO CHRISTIAN 13, POINT PARK 8
The Trailblazers racked up 17 hits to win the second game. Point Park had 11 hits of its own and had a late charge with five runs combined the last two innings, but it was not enough and too late.

Ohio Christian got out to a 4-0 lead after two times at bat. The Pioneers climbed back with three runs in the bottom of the second to cut the score to 4-3. But that was as close as Point Park would get as Ohio Christian pushed the lead to 6-3 in the fourth and erupted for six runs and a 12-3 lead after 5.5 innings.

At that point, the Pioneers were down to their last three outs. But Point Park extended the game to the seventh with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Cristina Sargent had an RBI single in the four-hit sixth for the Pioneers. She was 3 for 4 in the game. Cameron Meier started the rally with a lead-off double. Sydnie Reese came through with an RBI single two batters later. Jada Simon brought in a run with a groundout as the score moved to 12-6 and the mercy rule was avoided.

After an insurance run in the top of the seventh by OCU, the Pioneers had their last chance in the bottom half. Down 13-6, the first four batters reached base. Taylor Goldstrohm led off with a single, and she moved to third when Carissa Scekeres reached on a fielder's choice. After a wild pitch scored a run and moved both runners up, Meier, who was 2 for 4, stroked an RBI single.

But winning pitcher Lexi King finished off the game for Ohio Christian by getting three flyouts in the next four hitters. Point Park had four hits in that inning but also left the bases loaded. King went the distance for OCU giving up 11 hits in 7.0 innings.

Simon pitched the first 5.1 innings for Point Park before giving way to Courtney Shoemake for the last 1.2. Ohio Christian had some big hitting performances with Emma Hastings going 3 for 5 with a homer and Kylee Bako 2 for 5 with a double and a triple.

The big inning of six runs in the OCU sixth started off with Hasting's solo homer. Bako delivered a dagger with two outs, a three-run triple that pushed the score to 12-3.