SMWC clips Point Park at RSC Softball Championship

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Defending champion St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) edged Point Park University, 6-5, in the first round of the River States Conference Softball Championship on Thursday. The six-team, double-elimination tournament is being held at Little Creek Park in South Charleston, W.Va.

The Pioneers (21-17) had a 5-1 lead through two innings. But the Pomeroys (33-14) came right back to tie the score at 5-5 in the top of the third. The score stayed that way until the top of the seventh when Camryn Scott came in with the eventual winning run on an inside-the-park homer. 

Point Park, the No. 2 seed from the RSC East Division goes to the loser's bracket where it will play on Friday at 2:00 p.m. The Pioneers will face the loser of the winner's bracket game featuring No. 1 Rio Grande (Ohio) vs. No. 3 WVU Tech at 12:00 p.m. St. Mary-of-the-Woods, the No. 3 seed from the RSC West, advances in the winner's bracket to play No. 1 overall seed IU Southeast on Friday at 12:00 p.m.

The championship continues through Saturday. Point Park will have to win on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and then again at 6:00 p.m. to advance to the final day. 

Angalee Beall pitched all 7.0 innings for Point Park. She gave up the early runs but then held things there until the seventh. SMWC starter Lanna Martinez was not as fortunate. She lasted only 1.2 innings after giving up five runs. Summer Rocha came in to pitch 5.1 innings scoreless and get the victory. 

The switch to Rocha proved to be a big factor as she allowed just one hit in her relief outing. 

After going down, 1-0, Alex Bondi delivered a two-out single in the Point Park bottom of the first to tie the game. 

Point Park came alive four four runs in the second, all of which came after two outs. Remi Koi and Melanie Taylor came up with consecutive doubles to bring in the first two runs. There were five hits in the big inning, including Cameron Meier's RBI single and Beall's run-scoring triple. 

Lyric Krause and Tori Lee smashed big doubles in the SMWC top of the third as the Pomeroys tied the score up with four runs. 

SMWC had some runners cut down on the bases to kill potential rallies in the fourth and fifth innings. Beall set the Pomeroys down in order in the sixth. Scott's go-ahead inside the parker came with two outs and nobody on.