CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jared Campbell hit two home runs and Point Park stranded 12 base runners in an 8-2 win over West Virginia State on day three of the Mountain East Conference Baseball Tournament at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston.
With the win, Point Park advances in the winner's bracket and will play in Saturday's 1 p.m. game. The Pioneers will take on the winner of today's second matchup between Frostburg State and the University Charleston in Saturday's winner's bracket final.
Despite being held to just two runs, West Virginia State had a 15-9 advantage in hits on Friday afternoon.
First team All-MEC standout
Harold Boyce improved to 6-2 on the season as Point Park's starter. Boyce allowed two runs on 11 hits while striking out three.
Of the 15 West Virginia State hits in the game, 13 were singles with just two registering extra-base hits.
West Virginia State took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Brodie Guenther in the bottom of the first.
Campbell responded with a grand slam to right center in the top of the second – his first of two home runs in the game.
Crixtian Taveras, Jordan Campbell and
Joseph Pilewski were on base to set up Campbell's grand slam.
Still leading 4-1 in the top of the fifth,
Trevor Jones cleared the wall in left center to make the score 5-1 in favor of the Pioneers.
The fireworks didn't end there though, as
Jared Campbell homered for the second time in the game and third time in the tournament to make the score 6-1 in the middle of the sixth.
State's Michael Bittinger hit an RBI single to center field in the sixth to cut the Point Park lead to four at 6-2.
In the top of the ninth and still leading 6-2, Jordan Campbell hit an RBI double to left center and
Omar Morillo hit an RBI single up the middle to make the final score 8-2.
After Boyce threw the first six innings,
Ethan Parker threw two scoreless inning in the seventh and eighth, while
Orlando Leon kept a clean sheet in the ninth to end the game.
