CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- Point Park University baseball dropped a late-night result to Indiana University Kokomo on Friday, 11-8, at the River States Conference Baseball Championship. 

The game started at 7:30 p.m., but it didn't end until after midnight as there was a weather delay of more than an hour and a half with IU Kokomo leading 5-3 in the top of the fourth. 

The Cougars (32-19) got a key, three-run homer from Jack Leverenz when that top of the fourth resumed, and the comeback never fully made it all the way for the Pioneers (37-13). 

No. 1 Point Park fell to the loser's bracket of its pod with the result. The Pioneers play No. 5 Oakland City (Ind.) in an elimination game on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

The only other team left in the pod -- which started with four teams -- is No. 4 IU Kokomo. The Cougars are in the championship round of the pod awaiting the winner of Point Park-Oakland City for a matchup on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The pod winner will earn automatic qualification to the NAIA national tournament. The Pioneers need to pick up two wins on Saturday and then beat IU Kokomo in its first game on Sunday to earn that bid. The RSC Championship final round versus the winner of the other pod would be after that. 

Point Park was playing from behind throughout Friday's game as IU Kokomo scored two runs in the top of the first. The Pioneers responded in the bottom half tying things up at 2-2 with three straight extra-base hits -- a solo homer from Jared Campbell and then doubles by Isaac Santana and Michali Brito. 

IU Kokomo built its lead to 5-2 in the third thanks to a pair of homers. Chris Williams pulled the Pioneers within 5-3 with a solo shot of his own in the home half. 

With IU Kokomo batting in the top of the fourth, play halted for the next 90 minutes. IU Kokomo pushing the lead to 8-3 when things resumed kept the momentum with the Cougars. 

Point Park cut the lead to 9-7 with Santana's three-run homer in the sixth. The Pioneers got something going again in the seventh and pulled within 9-8 on Omar Morillo's base hit. 

But the Cougars continued to push the right buttons in the bullpen and got out of the jam stranding two runners and keeping the lead. 

The Pioneers had chances in the eighth and ninth but left runners on each time. IU Kokomo used four different pitchers in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, and no runs were charged to them. 

The top of the order kept the Pioneers in it with Santana 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Morillo 3 for 5 and Campbell 2 for 5 with a pair of runs.  

Point Park used three pitchers with Ethan Parker going the first 2.2 innings before giving way to Jose Moreno for 0.2. Javier Cardoso warmed up right before the delay and pitched the remaining 5.2 innings of the night. 

IU Kokomo starter J.T. Holton pitched 4.0 innings. Logan Green threw the next 2.0 innings before a combination of four arms got the Cougars through the final 3.0 innings guarding the 9-8 lead.