Rio Grande News
Thu, Apr. 19, 2012 - [Baseball]
Rio Grande Sports Information
HAMILTON, Ohio - Mark Hildebrand and Eric Britton each had three hits and two runs batted in, helping Miami University-Hamilton overcome a pair of early three-run deficits and defeat the University of Rio Grande, 11-9, Wednesday night, in a non-conference baseball matchup at Foundation Field.
Three other players had two hits each and Jon Lasota drove in a pair of runs for the Harriers, who improved to 19-21 with the win, while avenging a loss to the RedStorm last month at Bob Evans Field.
Rio Grande slipped to 26-22 with the loss, which also kept head coach Brad Warnimont one victory away from 600 for his career. Rio jumped on Hamilton starter Kurtis Watkins for three first inning runs thanks to an RBI double by junior Shane Spies (Polk, OH) and a two-run double by freshman Kyle Findley (Cincinnati, OH), but MU-H got all but one of the markers back in the bottom of the first against Rio freshman starter Mitch Martinez (Sarasota, FL) on a two-run single by Lasota.
The RedStorm again assumed a three-run advantage in the second thanks to a throwing error by Watkins and an RBI single by Spies, but Hamilton scored twice in the second inning and twice more in the third - once against Martinez and once against sophomore reliever David Steele (Kettering, OH) - to grab a lead it would never relinquish.
Two-out RBI hits by Justin Carter and Austin Rooke plated the second inning runs, while Britton tripled home a run in the third and scored the go-ahead tally moments later on a single by Hildebrand.
The Harriers extended their lead to 11-5 by scoring twice more in the fifth and sixth innings and added another run in the seventh. A throwing error on what would've been an inning-ending double-play ball off the bat of Anthony Clark produced the fifth inning runs against freshman reliever Heath Dettwiller (Pomery, OH), while Hildebrand had an RBI double and Antonio Dozier added a run-scoring single off of freshman reliever Landon Hutchison (Baltimore, OH) in the sixth.
A two-out double by Britton in the seventh plated Clark, who had opened the frame with a two-base hit of his own.
Rio did mount a late rally by scoring three times in the eighth inning and adding another run in the ninth, but the RedStorm couldn't complete the comeback.
Junior Vince Perry (Cypress, CA) doubled home one run and a throwing error allowed two more to cross in the eighth, while freshman Tim Easterling (Cincinnati, OH) had a run-scoring groundout in the ninth to set the final score.
Spies, Perry, junior Kyle Perez (Casselberry, FL) and freshman Grant Tamane (Pickering, Ontario, Canada) all had two hits for Rio, while Steele - the second of seven pitchers for the RedStorm - suffered the loss.
Clark, Rooke and Carter all had two hits for Miami-Hamilton. Watkins survived his shaky start, working 7-1/3 innings, to earn the win. Mark Pitocco came on in the ninth after Perez reached on a leadoff walk and recorded the final three outs to earn a save.
Rio Grande will host its final home series of the season beginning Friday, when Campbellsville University visits for a doubleheader. First pitch for the nine-inning opener is set for 1 p.m., with a seven-inning nightcap to follow immediately thereafter.
Saturday's series finale, which will be a nine-inning affair, is scheduled for 11 a.m.
A webcast of all three games will be available at www.ihigh.com/redstorm, with airtime set for 10 minutes prior to the first pitch of each contest.
HAMILTON, Ohio - Mark Hildebrand and Eric Britton each had three hits and two runs batted in, helping Miami University-Hamilton overcome a pair of early three-run deficits and defeat the University of Rio Grande, 11-9, Wednesday night, in a non-conference baseball matchup at Foundation Field.
Three other players had two hits each and Jon Lasota drove in a pair of runs for the Harriers, who improved to 19-21 with the win, while avenging a loss to the RedStorm last month at Bob Evans Field.
Rio Grande slipped to 26-22 with the loss, which also kept head coach Brad Warnimont one victory away from 600 for his career. Rio jumped on Hamilton starter Kurtis Watkins for three first inning runs thanks to an RBI double by junior Shane Spies (Polk, OH) and a two-run double by freshman Kyle Findley (Cincinnati, OH), but MU-H got all but one of the markers back in the bottom of the first against Rio freshman starter Mitch Martinez (Sarasota, FL) on a two-run single by Lasota.
The RedStorm again assumed a three-run advantage in the second thanks to a throwing error by Watkins and an RBI single by Spies, but Hamilton scored twice in the second inning and twice more in the third - once against Martinez and once against sophomore reliever David Steele (Kettering, OH) - to grab a lead it would never relinquish.
Two-out RBI hits by Justin Carter and Austin Rooke plated the second inning runs, while Britton tripled home a run in the third and scored the go-ahead tally moments later on a single by Hildebrand.
The Harriers extended their lead to 11-5 by scoring twice more in the fifth and sixth innings and added another run in the seventh. A throwing error on what would've been an inning-ending double-play ball off the bat of Anthony Clark produced the fifth inning runs against freshman reliever Heath Dettwiller (Pomery, OH), while Hildebrand had an RBI double and Antonio Dozier added a run-scoring single off of freshman reliever Landon Hutchison (Baltimore, OH) in the sixth.
A two-out double by Britton in the seventh plated Clark, who had opened the frame with a two-base hit of his own.
Rio did mount a late rally by scoring three times in the eighth inning and adding another run in the ninth, but the RedStorm couldn't complete the comeback.
Junior Vince Perry (Cypress, CA) doubled home one run and a throwing error allowed two more to cross in the eighth, while freshman Tim Easterling (Cincinnati, OH) had a run-scoring groundout in the ninth to set the final score.
Spies, Perry, junior Kyle Perez (Casselberry, FL) and freshman Grant Tamane (Pickering, Ontario, Canada) all had two hits for Rio, while Steele - the second of seven pitchers for the RedStorm - suffered the loss.
Clark, Rooke and Carter all had two hits for Miami-Hamilton. Watkins survived his shaky start, working 7-1/3 innings, to earn the win. Mark Pitocco came on in the ninth after Perez reached on a leadoff walk and recorded the final three outs to earn a save.
Rio Grande will host its final home series of the season beginning Friday, when Campbellsville University visits for a doubleheader. First pitch for the nine-inning opener is set for 1 p.m., with a seven-inning nightcap to follow immediately thereafter.
Saturday's series finale, which will be a nine-inning affair, is scheduled for 11 a.m.
A webcast of all three games will be available at www.ihigh.com/redstorm, with airtime set for 10 minutes prior to the first pitch of each contest.
