March 14, 2010

RedStorm downs Grand View on spring trip

Ormond Beach, Fl. --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm baseball team continued its early season roll with an 11-3 victory over Grand View on Sunday afternoon in the first game of the 2010 spring trip.

Rio Grande (15-3) delivered a ton of offense, totaling 16 hits in the game. Junior first baseman Francisco Ramirez (Columbus, OH) broke out of his early season slump with a 3-for-5 performance, which included a double and a home run and three RBI's. Junior leftfielder Michael Lynch (Lyndhurst, OH) went 3-for-4 and knocked in four runs for the RedStorm offense.

Senior catcher Tyler Plumpton (Peterborough, ONT) was 3-for-5 and junior shortstop Brad Konrad (Maumee, OH) was 3-for-5 with a double. Senior third baseman Tyler Schunk (Cincinnati, OH) was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI and junior Brandon Lay (Columbus, OH) was 1-for-2 and produced a two-run single to put Rio Grande up 4-2 in the sixth inning. 

The RedStorm broke the game open in the seventh with five runs and scored two more for good measure in the eighth. 

Senior southpaw Ryan Cramer (Olympia, WA) gave the RedStorm an outstanding pitching performance as he fired six innings and allowed only two runs in picking up his first victory of the season. 

"Cramer threw the ball extremely well," said Rio Grande head coach Brad Warnimont. "He pitched out of several jams."

"Francisco Ramirez showed up today and it was great to see," he added. "This was a tight, well-played ball game into the sixth inning." 

Grand View (5-7) would add an unearned run in the ninth inning for the final run of the game. 

Rio Grande plays a doubleheader versus Olivet Nazarene on Monday. The first game is set to begin at 10 a.m. Stretch Internet will have play-by-play coverage beginning at 9:55 a.m.