No. 12 Webber International (Fla.) edges No. 20 Point Park in pair of one-run games

BABSON PARK, Fla. -- No. 12 Webber International (Fla.) edged No. 20 Point Park (Pa.) in a pair of NAIA baseball games on Saturday from Babson Park, Fla. The Warriors (13-3) came away with two victories by a single run, 1-0 and 5-4, over the Pioneers (5-5).

Javier Cardoso II pitched a complete game for Point Park in the opener. The right-hander from Miami, Fla., gave up just the one run, which came on a base hit in the fourth inning.

Both games were scheduled for seven innings in the doubleheader. Cardoso II pitched all 6.0 for the visiting Pioneers. He scattered four hits -- all singles -- while striking out three and walking none.

The lone scoring inning came about when the leadoff man was hit by a pitch to start the fourth. A bunt moved him up, and the Warriors came through with an RBI single by Brodey Neveker. A caught stealing and a groundout got out of the inning to keep it at 1-0. 

Webber starter Dylan Martin equaled Cardoso II with 6.0 innings on his side. He allowed just two singles, struck out eight and walked one. Seth Lowell came in to pitch the seventh with three strikeouts to earn the save. 

Point Park's best chance came in the top of the sixth when it loaded the bases with two outs. But Martin got a strikeout in the last batter he faced to stamp out the threat. 

In the second game, Point Park got out to a 3-0 lead and was still ahead 3-1 when Webber came to bat in the bottom of the fifth. But the Warriors got four runs in that bottom half as the pivotal inning in the ballgame. 

Omar Morillo drew a walk to start the top of the first, and he scored on Isaac Santana's double directly after. With two runners on, Santana scored on Michali Brito's groundout. An infield error later in the inning made it 3-0.

Ramon Rodriguez pitched into the fifth inning for the Pioneers. In 4.1 on the mound, the sophomore lefty struck out one and walked one. Three of the five hits he gave up and the only walk came in the fifth inning.

A walk and a bunt set up the Warriors for Josh Blackmore's RBI double. With two runner's in scoring position Xavier Rodriguez's two-run single gave Webber the lead, 4-3. 

Jose Moreno came on in relief for the Pioneers. After a sacrifice bunt, Ian Kalman's base hit with two outs pushe the lead to 5-3.

Jared Campbell hit his third homer of the year to bring Point Park within 5-4 in the top of the sixth. That was as the leadoff batter of the inning and as the second to last batter faced by Webber's game-two starter Jonathan Bautista. 

Bautista pitched the first 5.1 innings striking out four and walking two. He gave up only three hits and handed the 5-4 lead over to Danny Rodriguez. Rodriguez struck out four of the six batters he faced to close out the game in 1.2 innings.

Point Park is off on Sunday, Feb. 25 and will conclude its weekend trip to Florida with a split doubleheader versus Mt. Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) and Cornerstone (Mich.) on Monday. Game times are 11:45 a.m. ET and 3:00 p.m. ET as the Pioneers finish out their trip at the North East Regional Park Field #2 for the final two games.