After losing the first two of a four-game series at Alice Lloyd College (Ky.) on Friday, Point Park’s baseball team recovered Saturday by winning the series’ two remaining games.The Pioneers received strong starting pitching from both its starters, redshirt-sophomore left-hander Nathan Sphon and junior right-hander Isaiah Marsh, and its bats re-emerged as the team plated 15 combined runs.Sphon, who has walked just five batters in 26.1 innings of work this season, struck out six batters in six innings, and allowed six hits. Marsh also fanned six while allowing three earned runs on five hits.“The golden rule of pitching is getting around a two-to-one strikeout to base-on-balls ratio,” said Sphon, a sophomore majoring in sport, arts and entertainment management, over the phone Sunday. The south paw is on track to do just that, something critical for the Pioneers’ pitching staff as the heart of conference play approaches.“We head into every game with the same mindset,” Sphon said.  “The most important games are the conference games.  We have to win them all.”Several lineup shuffles were made before Saturday’s games. Senior Don McDuffee was sent from left field to right field, junior Javy Marticorena from right field to designated hitter and Rob Novia to left field. Junior second baseman Tom Birko, who has made appearances in the third and eighth spots this season in the batting order, moved to the sixth spot Saturday.   Birko went 4-8 in Saturday’s combined games, which included two RBIs in game two ¾one of which scored first baseman Marlon Leyva in the top of the seventh inning and ended up deciding the game. “I don’t feel a difference where I bat in the order,” said Birko, also a sport, arts and entertainment management major, over the phone Sunday.  “I’m naturally a lead-off hitter and had to adjust this season with the way our team is built.  I’ve been working hard in the cage to turn my hitting around and it’s starting to pay off.”Sophomore third baseman Jordan Crowell, who was recently named KIAC Player of the Week, chipped in at the plate going 3-6 with a homer and three RBIs. The Pioneers’ weekend results have resurfaced its young season’s reoccurring theme:  mediocre results.  The squad was ranked no. 6 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) coaches’ preseason poll.  The first in-season poll will be released this week, and the Pioneers could possibly slip from the top 25.“It didn’t add pressure to us but did bring something to the table for all our opponents,” Birko said of the preseason ranking.  “We have a target on our backs definitely.  Not being ranked would take pressure off a little but being in the World Series last year every team wants a piece of us.”Point Park has yet to play a home game.  For the most part, players cannot wait until April when they play a home-dominant schedule.“It is not easy traveling every weekend and playing,” Birko said.  “Our team has been fatigued from the long bus rides and terrible nights of sleep in hotels.  Having a home field advantage playing in front of our fans is also a huge plus.”“It’s a lot more comfortable at home. We wake up and are just a few minutes from the field,” Sphon added.The Pioneers’ first home game is April 2, against Clarion.  A Fan Van will be available to students for the game.