The baseball team traveled to Indiana University – Purdue University Columbus on Sunday to take on the IUPUC Crimson Pride in their series opener. The Pioneers dominated 11-4, capturing the win in freezing cold conditions.
The full nine-inning matchup kicked off with a slow start for the Pioneers. In the bottom of the first, shortstop Carlos Martinez made an error that put a runner on first. The runner stole three consecutive bases to get IUPUC on the board.
The Pioneers had a hitless second inning. Meanwhile, the Crimson Pride extended their lead to 2-0 after a single and another error from the Pioneers.
“We did get off [to] a slow start today, a lot of it was the conditions,” head coach Loren Torres said. “Once we adjusted past the first two innings, we played seven innings of clean defense.”
Point Park answered in the third, as Omar Morillo opened the inning with a double. This was followed by an RBI single from Jared Campbell and an RBI double from Isaac Santana.
The Pioneers continued the rally, putting up five total hits and forcing two errors from IUPUC to put Point Park ahead at 6-2.
The Crimson Pride managed one more run in the bottom of the third after Peyton Blinn drilled an RBI double to earn IUPUC another run.
IUPUC went hitless between the fourth and sixth innings. Starting pitcher Javier Cardoso II accumulated five strikeouts during this time.
Point Park bolstered their lead in the fifth and sixth innings, combining for four hits and four runs to bring the score to 10-2. Morillo, Chris Williams and Luis Gonzalez each hit an RBI single.
The Pioneers scored their final run in the seventh after Carlos Martinez scored off a fielder’s choice.
The Crimson Pride made a last-minute comeback attempt in the ninth.
Closer Joey Tedesco hit leadoff hitter Avery Seegers. Pinch runner Jared Ross stole second, and IUPUC almost stranded the runner by hitting two groundouts.
Alex McComb hit an RBI single to drive in the runner. With two outs and no men on, the Pioneers closed out the game with another groundout.
Cardoso II earned the win, pitching in seven whole innings, giving up four hits and one earned run. He also threw eight strikeouts.
Crimson Pride starter Drew Bradley received the loss. During his four innings pitched, he gave up six hits and seven runs.
Morillo went five-for-six from the plate with one run and one RBI. Williams had two runs and an RBI.
“We have a mature group with tons of leadership and they are relentless in their efforts,” Torres said.
The Pioneers secured their third conference win in a row, improving their conference record to 3-1 and their overall record to 9-7.
Torres tells a unique outlook that he shares with the team as they continue through the season.
“We want to win a National Championship,” Torres said. “But we have to have a deeper perspective and a broader perspective to make sure that we stay in the moment.”
The Pioneers’ first home game is against Midway on Friday, March 15 at 2 p.m., followed by two more games on Saturday.
Updates can be found on the Point Park Sports social media pages and pointparksports.com.
