BUCKHANNON – A masterful pitching performance and timely hitting propelled Point Park University to a 3-0 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday afternoon at Hank Ellis Field. In the second game filled with offensive fireworks, Point Park edged out Wesleyan 10-9 in a dramatic, back-and-forth contenst.
The first game remained scoreless through four innings as both teams struggled to generate offense. Wesleyan’s starter, Hunter Eplin, matched zeroes with Javier Cardoso II, limiting Point Park to just one baserunner through the early frames.
The breakthrough for the Pioneers came in the top of the fifth when Jordon Campbell delivered a clutch two-run triple, plating Luis Gonzalez and CrixtianTaveras to give Point Park a 2-0 lead. Gonzalez had set the table with a double, and Campbell capitalized on the scoring opportunity with a deep drive into the gap.
Point Park added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Omar Morillo launched a solo home run to extend the lead to 3-0. Chris Williams followed with a double, but the Pioneers were unable to capitalize further.
On the mound, Cardoso II tossed five scoreless innings while striking out five and walking two. His bullpen counterpart, Harold Boyce, was nearly flawless, pitching two perfect innings and striking out two to secure the save.
Wesleyan’s offense struggled throughout, managing just four hits and leaving five runners on base. Their best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth when Ethan Fraley singled and advanced to third, but a crucial out at third base ended the threat.
Eplin took the loss despite a solid outing, allowing just five hits and three earned runs while striking out four over seven innings.
In the nightcap, the scoring began immediately, with both teams plating a run in the first inning. Point Park’s Campbell got things going with an RBI single, but the Bobcats responded in the bottom half, capitalizing on an error to tie the game at 1-1.
After a scoreless second for the Pioneers, the Bobcats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half when Burner doubled in a run. Point Park quickly responded in the third with two runs, highlighted by another RBI single from Campbell and a fielder’s choice that allowed Williams to cross the plate, giving the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.
The third inning saw Wesleyan explode for a five-run rally, turning a one-run deficit into a commanding 7-3 advantage. A wild pitch, an error, and a two-run double from Burner helped fuel the big frame.
In the fourth inning, the Pioneers’ Williams belted a two-run home run, followed immediately by a solo shot from Campbell. Santana doubled, setting up more scoring chances, but the Pioneers settled for three runs, cutting the deficit to 7-6.
The turning point came in the fifth when Point Park erupted for four runs. A leadoff walk to Joseph Pilewski set the stage for a game-tying rally. A passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to score before Campbell and Edward Mateo delivered back-to-back extra-base hits, with Mateo crushing a two-run homer to give Point Park a 10-7 lead.
Wesleyan mounted one final push in the bottom of the seventh. Poteat walked to lead off the inning, followed by an RBI double from Drew Jrolf to make it 10-8. An error by Point Park’s infield allowed another run to score, bringing the Bobcats within one. With the tying run on third, Orlando Leon buckled down, inducing two groundouts to escape with the 10-9 victory.
