KOKOMO, Ind. -- (RV) Point Park University baseball split the River States Conference doubeheader at IU Kokomo on Friday with an 8-5 loss in the opener followed by a 5-4 comeback in the second game.

Point Park (33-12, 17-6 RSC) had its comeback fall short in the first game. The Pioneers scored four runs in the eighth inning to cut the score to 7-5 but never made it all the way back. IU Kokomo (26-18, 16-6 RSC) rode the momentum of scoring four runs in the first inning to victory.

The Pioneers and Cougars remain in a virtual tie in the RSC standings and will have that determined by Saturday's final game of the series, which is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET. That's after the Pioneers came back from a 4-2 deficit with three runs in the top of the sixth of the seven-inning affair of Game 2.

In the final game of the RSC regular season for both teams, the winner of Saturday's matchup will take second place in the RSC standings and the No. 2 seed in the RSC Baseball Championship beginning next week.

IU KOKOMO 8, POINT PARK 5
The Cougars got four runs on four hits and an error in the bottom of the first and never looked back from that 4-0 lead. IU Kokomo added to the lead with single runs in its final four times at bat in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Edwin De La Rosa was 2 for 4 with two runs for Point Park. He ignited a four-run eighth inning with an RBI single. Jared Campbell drove in two with a single later in the inning on his way to three RBIs in the game. That cut the score to 7-5, but reliever Ryan Beck came into a key spot and got Gianmarco Marcelletti to fly out and leave two runners on.

Beck ended up with the save as the fourth IU Kokomo pitcher to work in the game. Owen Callaghan started and went 5.1 innings for the win. Point Park got eight hits and four walks off of him, but it amounted to only one run.

Point Park starter Easton Klein was charged with six runs, but only four of them were earned. Point Park made five errors in the game. Ramon Medina pitched 2.0 innings giving up two hits and two runs, although both were uearned. Leo Diaz pitched a scoreless eighth.

POINT PARK 5, IU KOKOMO 4
The Cougars scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to break a 2-2 tie and take a 4-2 lead. That was with Jared Heard delivering a sacrifice fly and Darren Steele getting a two-out single.

Down, 4-2, Point Park came up with a rally when it was needed. The Pioneers scored three times in the top of the sixth. Isaac Santana's double set up runners at second and third with two outs. A key error allowed both runners to score in the next at bat to tie the game. Another error pushed the Pioneers in front.

IU Kokomo got a couple of singles in the sixth, but Leo Diaz got out of the jam as his relief outing continued. Diaz, who came on for the final 2.2 innings, came into a jam in the fifth. The seventh was easier with a 1-2-3 side to finish off the game and improve his record to 6-2.

Joathan Rivera got the start for Point Park and pitched into the fifth inning. In 4.1 innings, he gave up four runs and five hits. He struck out two and walked four. Diaz finished with three hits allowed and no runs charged to him.

Point Park had tied the score at 1-1 on Carlos Sanchez's RBI double in the fourth. The Pioneers had to tie it again on Gianmarco Marcelletti's run-scoring single in the fifth. Luis Hernandez had walked and stolen second earlier.