March 17, 2010
RedStorm close out spring trip with DH sweep of Ashford
Ormond Beach, Fl. --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm baseball team closed out a successful spring trip with a doubleheader sweep of Ashford University on Wednesday. Rio won the first game in six innings, 11-1 and held on for an 8-7 win in game two.
Rio Grande (19-4) racked up 14 hits in the game one victory. Junior leftfielder Michael Lynch (Lyndhurst, OH) led the offense as he went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI's. Junior shortstop Brad Konrad (Maumee, OH) and senior designated hitter Chris Mahon (Hamilton, OH) both went 2-for-3 and both had one RBI in the game.
Senior centerfielder Ryan Yakura (Pickering, ONT) was 2-for-4 with two runs knocked in and senior catcher Tyler Plumpton (Peterborough, ONT) was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Freshman outfielder Zach Jordan (Proctorville, OH) came through with a big two run single while senior third baseman Tyler Schunk (Cincinnati, OH) went 1-for-3 with a double and junior first baseman Francisco Ramirez (Columbus, OH) was 1-for-3 and drove in a run. Junior second baseman Christian Frias (Salinas, PR) was 1-for-1 with a two-base hit to his credit.
Freshman southpaw Ryan Robertson (Waverly, OH) remained unbeaten as he improved to 5-0 on the season. Robertson allowed only one hit and one run in 5 1/3 innings on the hill. He struck out six, walked two and plunked two batters.
Freshman Eric Ford (Chagrin Falls, OH) came on and pitched the final 2/3 of an inning.
Game two was much closer thanks in large part to some very shaky Rio Grande defense. Ashford (2-12) jumped out to a 5-0 lead with five runs in the second inning off Rio starter Jesse Brown (Mt. Pleasant, NC). Brown was a victim of the porous defense as only one of the runs that crossed the plate was earned.
The junior lefty lasted five innings. He allowed five hits and four walks to go along with three strikeouts.
Ashford's lead was short-lived as Rio Grande stormed back with five runs to tie it in the top of the third frame.
Senior Ryan Cramer (Olympia, WA) followed Brown to the hill and pitched 1 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs in the seventh, which cut Rio's lead to 8-7. Sophomore righthander Ryan Chapman (Racine, OH) came on to earn his second save of the season.
Konrad had a big game for the RedStorm in game two as he went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in a pair of runs. He fell just short of the single game school record for steals with four (the record is five). Yakura also posted three hits in four at-bats with a double and two RBI's.
Other offensive stalwarts for the RedStorm were Ramirez, 2-for-4, senior rightfielder John Storey (Wheelersburg, OH), 1-for-2 with an RBI, Plumpton, 1-for-3 with a double, and Lynch, 1-for-3.
Mahon was 0-for-2 with an RBI and Frias was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly that brought a home a run in the five-run third.
Rio Grande finished up the spring trip winning five of the six games played.
The RedStorm are back home for a four-game Mid-South Conference set on Saturday and Sunday (March 20-21) versus West Virginia Tech. Saturday's first game is set to begin at 1 p.m. Stretch Internet will have play-by-play coverage beginning at 12:55 p.m. both days.
