After a frustrating 2-1 loss at Point Park (9-29, 7-19 AMC) in the second game of a doubleheader on Thursday, MVNU (30-16, 17-9 AMC) went right to work offensively in the bottom of the first inning of the first game on Friday. Senior third baseman Richey Burgos and senior outfielder/designated hitter Marc Hadley both had RBI-singles in the inning, while sophomore outfielder Kodi Veale (left) had the big blow with a two-out, bases-loaded triple to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.

The visiting Pioneers strung together three hits and a walk in the top of the second inning to plate a run on an RBI-infield single by Brian Grise that got Point Park on the scoreboard 5-1.

MVNU answered with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to extend its lead to 8-1 as Burgos had a two-run double and Hadley added an RBI-single.

A solo home run by Josh Correia and doubles by Matt Ferro and Bryce Pfeuffer closed the gap to 8-3, but a two-run triple by freshman outfielder Steve Williams that ended with him also scoring on a throwing error on the play pushed the Cougars’ lead up to 11-3.

Once again, the Pioneers tried to get back in the game as Point Park scored twice in the top of the fourth inning to close the gap to 11-5. The first run scored on a double play, and Correia then hit his second solo home run of the game.

However, MVNU also answered once again as the Cougars sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning on the way to scoring five runs to extend the lead to 16-5. Sophomore first baseman Matt Parks (right) got the scoring under way with a two-run homer - his fourth of the year - to leftfield. Senior outfielder Garret Shivley added an RBI-single and junior second baseman/pitcher Josh Estep doubled in two more runs.

The Pioneers used three singles, a balk, and a wild pitch to close out the scoring in the top of the fifth inning. Andrew Haburjak drove in the lone run of the inning with an RBI-single, but it was not enough as MVNU prevailed 16-6 and in the process clinched a berth in the NAIA Region IX Tournament.

Freshman right-hander Caleb Wright (5-1) earned the victory as he scattered 10 hits, one walk, and five runs over four innings with three strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Andy Carter tossed the final inning and registered three strikeouts while also giving up three hits and a run.

Kevin Hutchinson (1-7), who pitched in relief as both a right-hander and a left-hander in Thursday’s doubleheader split with the Cougars, tossed all four innings and allowed 17 hits, four walks, and 16 runs - all earned - with one strikeout throwing left-handed on Friday.

Offensively, Burgos paced MVNU by going 3-for-3 with three RBI. Senior shortstop Ross Yoder, Shivley, Hadley, Parks, Veale, and Williams all added two hits apiece with Yoder and Shivley each scoring three times and Veale driving in three runs.

Pfeuffer and Grise both had three hits apiece to lead Point Park, while Correia had a big game with two home runs. Ferro and Haburjak also had two hits each.

The Cougars jumped out to a big lead in the bottom of the second inning as MVNU sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs despite just recording three hits. The Pioneers walked six batters and hit two others. Veale drew two bases-loaded walks in the inning, while Parks walked with the bases loaded and freshman catcher Ricardo Rodriguez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Yoder had a two-run double, Burgos had an RBI-single, and Shivley plated a run with a sacrifice fly. The other run came in on a wild pitch.

Point Park got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning when Correia ripped a two-run homer - his third of the day and eighth of the season - to rightfield to trim the Cougars’ lead to 9-2.

MVNU got one of the runs back in the bottom of the third inning when the Cougars manufactured a run without the benefit of a hit. Yoder and Shivley were hit by pitches to start off the inning, and Yoder moved to third on a fly out by Burgos to centerfield. Then, they executed a delayed double steal to perfection with Shivley swiping second and Yoder stealing home on the throw as MVNU’s lead grew to 10-2.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, history was made when Burgos (left) lined an RBI-double to leftfield to extend the Cougars’ lead to 11-2. With the hit, Burgos became MVNU’s all-time hits lead with 264 as he passed former NAIA All-American and Boston Red Sox minor leaguer Travis Gray, who registered 263 career hits in his spectacular career with the Cougars from 1994-1997.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, MVNU loaded the bases with two outs as Veale singled and Yoder and Shivley were each hit by a pitch. That brought Burgos back to the plate and he drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run as the Cougars posted a 12-2 walk-off win as the 10-run mercy rule went into effect.

Estep (3-1) earned the win on the mound for MVNU as he allowed just two hits and two runs over six innings with six strikeouts and no walks.

Jason Mesko (2-3) suffered the loss for the Pioneers as he allowed four hits, five walks, and nine runs over 1.2 innings with one strikeout. Ferro tossed four innings and gave up three hits, two walks, and three runs with one strikeout. Gino Moio walked Burgos to end the game which was the only batter that Moio faced.

Offensively, Burgos capped off a big day by going 3-for-4 with three more RBI. Yoder also went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Meanwhile Correia’s two-run homer and Denny DiPasquale’s one-out single in the top of the second inning accounted for all of Point Park’s hits in the game.

The Cougars are currently third in the AMC standings with their 17-9 mark. Urbana University is 14-8 with four conference games remaining against Ohio Dominican University, while Walsh University is 14-10 with a doubleheader at Notre Dame College remaining. The worst that MVNU can finish is in fourth place if Urbana wins at least three of its remaining four games. The Cougars also reached the 30-win mark for the 13th time in the past 18 years.

The NAIA Region IX Tournament will start next Wednesday at either Ohio Dominican or Malone College. The winner of the four-team, double elimination event will host the NAIA East Coast Super Regional with a berth in the NAIA World Series on the line.