PITTSBURGH -- Point Park baseball opened MEC play with a sweep over WV Wesleyan on Friday behind a strong showing from Ramon Rodriguez and Harold Boyce's no-hitter. The Pioneers (7-5, 2-0 MEC) won the games 4-1 and 12-0.

Game 1 (W: Rodriguez 2-0, L: Evans 1-2, S: Parker 1)

Ramon Rodriguez, the reigning MEC Pitcher of the Week, tossed six shutout innings on Friday, striking out six and allowing five hits and two walks. Felix Gonzalez scored three of Point Park's runs with Olindo Pezzone, the reigning MEC Player of the Week, providing a home run in the fourth inning.

Point Park took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Luis Gonzalez hit a leadoff single and advanced to third off a single from Pezzone and a throwing error by Wesleyan's center fielder. Felix Rodriguez then flew out to bring Gonzalez home.

Pezzone's blast in the fourth inning came from the leadoff spot. He hit a towering drive to left field for his fifth home run of the season. Felix Rodriguez earned a walk in the fourth and advanced to second on a hit from JonAlan Richardson. Rodriguez was bunted over to third by Felix Gonzalez and a single from Carlos de la Vega brought him in to give PPU a 3-0 lead.

In the sixth, Rodriguez reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second. He then went to third on a single from Felix Gonzalez and de la Vega hit a sacrifice fly to drive home his run. Leading 4-1 in the top of the seventh, Ethan Parker entered the game to close it out. He recorded a strikeout as he earned his first save of the season.

Game 2 (W: Boyce 2-1, Hernandez 1-3)

Harold Boyce threw a no-hitter in Point Park's second game, striking out five batters and allowing zero walks across seven innings. Boyce came two baserunners shy of a perfect game and recorded the first no-no in Point Park's history since Nick Beardsley, Point Park's current pitching coach, accomplished the feat on Apr. 1, 2018.

Felix Gonzalez, Boyce's catcher for the no-hitter, scored three runs for the second time on Friday, tying for the team lead in runs scored with Carlos de la Vega. Trevor Jones' four RBIs led the Pioneers.

Point Park started fast in the second game with de la Vega doubling and Jones hitting an RBI double to bring him in. Chris Williams' single in the bottom of the fourth led to an error on the first baseman in which Felix Rodriguez scored. De la Vega reached base on an error in the next at bat, bringing Felix Gonzalez in. After a double steal from da le Vega and Williams, Trevor Jones flew out to right field to drive Williams in and Luis Gonzalez singled right after, giving the Pioneers a 5-0 lead through four innings.

Point Park scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth with de la Vega ripping a two-RBI double to left and Trevor Jones hitting a two-RBI double to right center. Luis Gonzalez earned an RBI in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk.

Boyce recorded eight consecutive outs to end the game, retiring 11 of his last 12 batters from the fourth inning on. Boyce tallied four strikeouts over that span. Upon finishing the game with a popout to Trevor Jones in right, Boyce was immediately surrounded by his teammates on the mound in celebration.

UP NEXT

Point Park returns to action on Sunday, March 15, against Davis & Elkins in a doubleheader. The games will be played at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W.Va. First pitches are scheduled for noon and 2:30 p.m.