Point Park seized a series win after two explosive wins on Saturday against River-States Conference (RSC) opponents Shawnee State in Ohio. The Pioneers let loose with 11 home runs in two games.
Jared Campbell went .438 from the plate in the series with two home runs and a double. Jordon Campbell went three-for-six from the plate with a combined seven RBIs and two home runs.
Point Park sits at first place in the RSC East with a 12-3 conference record. The Bears now barely sit at second in the division with a 8-7 conference record.
The Pioneers lead the RSC in total home runs with 56 homers – 20 more than the second place team. They also lead the conference in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
In game one on Friday, the Bears beat the Pioneers 11-7.
Point Park led for a majority of the game, until the Bears pulled ahead in an eighth-inning rally. Shawnee State scored four runs to capture the win after two hits from the Bears, a wild pitch and an error from the Pioneers.
The Pioneers bounced back on Saturday with two tremendous wins. Game two concluded 18-4, followed by a 17-5 win in game three.
Point Park hit four home runs in game two and seven homers in game three. These hits came from eight different players.
The Pioneers opened game two with a seven-run inning, establishing a sizable lead from the jump. Isaac Santana and Chris Williams added RBI hits, Williams scored on a balk and Jordon Campbell closed the top of the first with a three-run homer.
Point Park bolstered their lead throughout the game thanks to three more home runs and several RBI singles from the Pioneers.
On the mound, Ramon Rodriguez earned the dub, holding the Bears to ten hits and nine strikeouts after all seven innings. Rodriguez is now 6-1.
The Pioneers kept the ball rolling in game two, continuing their offensive success into the late afternoon. They led off with yet another multi-run opening inning with six runs and five hits.
Point Park increased their lead throughout the game after home runs from Santana, Michali Brito, Williams, Carlos Burroughs, Luis Gonzalez, Jordon Campbell and Carlos Martinez.
Point Park combined for 15 hits and forced four errors from the Bears.
Shawnee State pitcher Eric Oakes received the loss. He gave up ten runs, nine hits and four home runs in the first three innings.
Reliever Ethan Parker earned the win, pitching three innings and giving up two total hits.
Ramon Rodriguez reflected on Point Park’s turnaround versus the skilled Shawnee State.
“They were a good team [with] a lot of good hitters,” Rodriguez said. “Luckily we had a really good second day [of] the series to secure the series win.”
The Pioneers travel to Cincinnati on Thursday to take on Wilberforce, followed by a trip to Ohio this weekend to face Ohio Christian in a three-game conference series.
“Our pitching and hitting set the tone [for] the upcoming series against Ohio Christian,” Rodriguez said. “We are now coming into the end of the season and we are determined to finish on the right foot.”
Nine conference games remain in the 2024 regular season. The Pioneers play their final regular season matchup on April 24, and the RSC Tournament begins on April 26.
For additional updates and information, visit pointparksports.com.
