BRACKET

KOKOMO, Ind. -- Point Park University softball dropped to the elimination bracket of the 2022 River States Conference Softball Championship with Thursday's first-round loss to Indiana University Southeast, 13-5. The Grenadiers (23-23) scored nine runs in the fifth inning to end the game after five innings versus the Pioneers (22-21)

Point Park had seized the momentum with three big runs in the top of the fifth for a 5-4 lead. It was the first time all game the Pioneers were ahead as IU Southeast had an early lead of 3-0 and later 3-2.

But the Grenadiers put together the big inning to move on to the winner's bracket. Play continues at the RSC Softball Championship scheduled through Saturday. Point Park's next game will be Friday, May 6 at 1:00 p.m. versus the loser of an earlier winner's bracket game featuring No. 2 overall seed St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) (26-12) versus Midway (Ky.) (30-14), the No. 3 seed from the RSC West Division.

Point Park is the No. 3 seed from the RSC East Division. The six-team, double elimination tournament began Thursday from Championship Park in Kokomo, Ind. The only other game on Thursday was the other opening-round game with Midway getting a 9-1 win over Ohio Christian, the No. 2 seed from the RSC East.

IU Southeast advances to play No. 1 overall seed Rio Grande on Friday at 11:00 a.m. with Midway getting St. Mary-of-the-Woods at the same time and spot in the bracket.

Cristina Sargent had a big game on Thursday going 3 for 3 with three doubles. She got the start at catcher and made good on it. There were a couple of sacrifice flies by Jada Simon and Jodi Frontino in the Point Park fourth. Those were set up with Sargent stroking a double and Cameron Meier getting a single. Meier was 2 for 3 as part of Point Park's 10-hit attack.

The Pioneers' big fifth inning of three runs started off with an RBI double by Sargent. Simon, who was 2 for 2 and also was the starting pitcher for the Pioneers, ripped a single next. A run scored on an error during the play, and the game was tied at 4-4. Frontino then delivered a go-ahead hit, an RBI single for a 5-4 lead.

IU Southeast got the momentum right back with Katie Templeman stroking a triple to start the bottom of the fifth. A couple of key hits later, the Grenadiers had things going their way. There were six hits and an error in the inning, and that was enough to end the game on a two-out hit by Erin Templeman to make the score 13-5.

All games of the RSC Softball Championship will be streamed live on the RSC Game Central. Live stats provided on PrestoSports. For updates on results, stats, schedule and also links to live broadcasts, go to the RSC Softball Championship, got to the tournament central page by clicking here.