WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Point Park and West Liberty battled to a split on Saturday afternoon to open a four-game Mountain East Conference series. West Liberty edged Point Park in game one by a 5-4 final, while the Pioneers took game two 4-1.
Game 1
Point Park took the lead in the third inning of game one on an RBI single by
Felix Gonzalez that scored
Chris Williams for the game's first run.
In the fourth, Sabastian Hernandez hit an RBI single to left field to drive in Point Park's second run, before a sacrifice fly by
Felix Gonzalez during the next at-bat made it 3-0 in favor of the Pioneers.
Trevor Jones scored on the successful sac-fly.
In the fifth with three runners on, Luke Foley belted a three-run double for West Liberty to tie the game at 3-3. With Foley still on second, Luke Marsh hit a two-run home run to put the hosts in front by two runs (5-3).
In the top of the seventh, Point Park plated one run on a sacrifice fly by
Olindo Pezzone, but the Hilltoppers held off the comeback bid to take game one by a 5-4 final.
Ramon Rodriguez (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season, surrendering four runs in the narrow loss. Rodriguez went four and a third, recording six strikeouts and walking two.
Ethan Parker pitched the final one and two-thirds, allowing one run on two hits.
West Liberty's John Thompson (5-3) earned the win.
Game 2
In game two,
Harold Boyce pitched a gem for Point Park, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out 13. Boyce didn't walk a batter in the outing.
At the plate, Point Park took the lead on a
Felix Rodriguez solo home run in the top of the first. In the third, Pezzone made it 2-0 on an infield single to the shortstop to score
Sebastian Hernandez. Later in the third, Williams came home on an error by the West Liberty pitcher.
West Liberty's Hunter White scored the Hilltoppers lone run of the game on a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.
Point Park wrapped up the scoring in the fifth, aided by an error by the West Liberty shortstop, to make the final score 4-1 in favor of the Pioneers.
The teams combined for just five hits in game two.
Point Park and West Liberty will wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
