The Globe

Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Kali Wallace During a game against Cedarville University sophomore shortstop Lindsey Pesanka tags out a runner trying to steal second.

The Point Park University softball team's most recent doubleheader resulted in a split. Only four American Mideast Conference (AMC) games remain for the Pioneers.

The remaining regular season games are home games. In order to secure a spot, the Pioneers must walk away from the next four games with at least three wins. The first doubleheader was set for Tuesday against Carlow University, but it was rescheduled for today at 11 a.m. due to rain. The second is scheduled for tomorrow at 3 p.m. against the conference-leading Notre Dame College, which is currently 13-1 in the conference.

The Pioneers directed their focus toward preparing for the final conference games.

"This week is going to be tough," said Michelle Coultas, head coach of the Pioneers. "We've got four games left, and we need three wins out of them. I'm not concerned with anything but winning those games and getting to the playoffs."

The Pioneers played against Cedarville University this past weekend at home in McKees Rocks. The team walked away from the doubleheader with only one victory instead of two.

Saturday's games provided the Pioneers with useful, enlightening information. Point Park beat Cedarville, 5-2, in the first game of the doubleheader. The victory was a game in which Point Park managed nine hits and five runs, playing solid defense to lend support to the sometimes inconsistent offense. Cedarville out-hit Point Park by one, but the defense supplied by the Pioneers was more than enough to counter.

It was the second game in which the Pioneers came up short, being shut out by Cedarville 7-0. The Pioneers did not get many runners on base to initiate scoring chances. While the offense faltered on Point Park's end, Cedarville took advantage of the situation and were able to keep the Pioneers completely shut-out after 50 percent of Cedarville's total hits resulted in runs.

The loss to Cedarville, which is 4-12 in the conference, kept Point Park from tying Walsh University. Walsh, which has a 9-9 conference record, is only beating Point Park for the fifth place spot by one win. The loss puts the Pioneers in a tight spot, but it also provided insight to the members of the team; even the new faces of this season can sense the intense situation they are in.

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