March 27, 2010

RedStorm drop two to Campbellsville

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader versus Campbellsville on Saturday afternoon at Stanley Evans Field. Campbellsville won the first game 9-0 in run-rule fashion and came back to win game two by an 8-7 count with a dramatic grand slam home run in the seventh inning. 

Rio Grande (13-11, 7-5 MSC) loses the series three games to one.   The RedStorm mustered only four hits in game one against Campbellsville hurler Allison Horton, who pitched all four games in the series for the Tigers.

Campbellsville (20-12, 9-2 MSC) collected 10 hits in defeating sophomore Anna Smith (Ross, OH) in game one. Morgan Bullock was a big factor for the Tigers, going 3-for-3 with a double and three runs scored. Emma Napier, Jordan Cornett and Alex Jane Clemmons tallied two RBI's each.

The Tigers scored a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Katelyn Daniel and then erupted for five runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

Horton (13-8) struck out two and walked one in limiting the RedStorm to four singles.

Smith (8-8) allowed 10 hits and all nine runs with four strikeouts and one walk. 

Game two was showing signs that it was going to be more of the same as Campbellsville opened up a 4-0 lead, scoring in each of the first three innings. Napier quickly gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead with a lead-off home run off sophomore hurler Allison Mills (West Chester, OH). 

Rio was able to get on the board in the bottom of the third frame when senior leftfielder Leah Hamman (Lexington, OH) led off the inning with a solo home run.

Rio scored six times in the fourth inning to take a 7-4 lead, thanks to five hits and three Campbellsville errors. The Tigers committed five errors in the game. 

Smith had a big game offensively for Rio Grande in game two, as she was a perfect hitting 4-for-4. Hamman added an RBI single in the six-run inning and also scored a run. She was 2-for-4 in the game. Junior shortstop Amber Bowman (Hebron, OH) went 1-for-4 with two RBI's and senior catcher Kaylyn Heading (Hilliard, OH) added an RBI hit. 

Rio tallied nine hits in game two. 

After a rough first three innings, Mills kept the Campbellsville bats at bay and owned a 7-4 lead going into the top of the seventh inning. She ran into trouble in the seventh, after giving up two hits and a walk, Rio Grande head coach David Pyles brought Smith in from first base to pitch to quell the threat.

Clemmons came through for Campbellsville as she hit the first pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam home run, giving the Tigers an 8-7 lead. 

Horton won the game for Campbellsville, pitching all seven innings, striking out two and walking one. She gave up nine hits and seven runs (one earned).

Pyles was disappointed with the second game loss, especially since his team was the beneficiary of five Campbellsville errors. "They tried to give it to us, we come back, down from a 4-0 deficit and actually take the lead, just can't hold it," he said. "I guess you can chalk that one up to me, I make a pitching change, maybe I shouldn't have done it, but it was a gut feeling."

"I felt like we needed to change it up and go from Allison to Anna, it didn't work out," Pyles added. 

Rio Grande will step put of conference on Sunday to face off with Baldwin-Wallace. Game one is set for 1 p.m. Stretch Internet will have play-by-play coverage beginning at 12:55 p.m.