April 6, 2010

RedStorm softball sweeps WVU Tech

Rio Grande --- The University of Rio Grande RedStorm softball team swept a twinbill from visiting West Virginia Tech on Tuesday afternoon at Stanley Evans Field. The RedStorm won the first game in run-rule fashion 14-2 and held on for a 1-0 win in the finale.

Rio Grande (18-16, 9-9 MSC) battled back from an early 2-0 deficit in the first game as it scored in every inning, including blowing the game open with an 11-run third inning. 

The RedStorm had nine hits and were the beneficiary of eight walks by WVU Tech pitching. Sophomore first baseman Chelsie Brooks (North Lewisburg, OH) paced the Rio offense with two hits and three RBI's. Freshman third baseman Jaymie Rector (Heath, OH) also collected two hits. 

Sophomore pitcher Anna Smith (Ross, OH) was 1-for-3 and had three RBI's and freshman designated hitter Mackenzie Rucker (Proctorville, OH) was 1-for-2 with three RBI's. 

Sophomore second baseman Stevie Sharp (Grayson, KY) was 1-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored.  Freshman leftfielder Kaitie Stewart (Pleasant Hill, OH) was 0-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. 

WVU Tech (12-20, 1-11 MSC) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run by Stephanie Sang in the first inning. Following the home run, Rio's Smith settled down and allowed only six hits in the game. She struck out five and walked two in picking up her 10^th victory of the season. 

Sang (3-2) took the loss for the Golden Bears after being chased from the pitcher's circle in the third inning. 

Game two was a close encounter in which Rio Grande won the game on a solo home run by senior centerfielder Leah Hamman (Lexington, OH) in the bottom of the third inning. The home run was her seventh of the season.  Hamman had two hits in the game.

Junior shortstop Amber Bowman (Hebron, OH) went 2-for-3 with a double. Brooks, Rector, Rucker and sophomore pitcher Allison Mills (West Chester, OH) all had one hit each for the RedStorm in game two. 

Mills (8-4) was the story of the game as she went the distance in orchestrating a four-hit shutout. This was her second shutout of the season.   She struck out 10 and did not walk batter. Mills carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. 

Mills out-dueled Tech's Diana Humphreys (5-11) in getting the win. Humphreys threw well and gave her team a chance. She pitched six innings, yielding eight hits and one run with four strikeouts. 

Rio had a great defensive play in the sixth inning when sophomore rightfielder Marissa Lennox (Gahanna, OH) gunned down the would-be tying run at the plate to keep the shutout intact.

Rio Grande head coach David Pyles was pleased with the outstanding pitching his team received in the doubleheader. "The first game, Anna after that first inning, giving up the two-run homer, she settles down and throws a real good game," Pyles said. "Allison had a one-hitter through five, she just threw an outstanding game, you couldn't ask for anything better out of our pitching staff."

Pyles was also pleased to see his team score some runs. "The first game, it did get a little ugly there at a point in time for them, you've got to give their second pitcher (Humphreys) a lot of credit," Pyles said. "She came in that second game and really kept them in the game, we may be did get a little too aggressive a time or two, but that's always been my style and we'll continue to do so."

"It's just nice for our offense to come around and finally start to put some runs on the board," Pyles added. "It's nice to have some base runners and get people hitting and now we've got to go to Cumberlands this weekend and hopefully carry this over there." 

The wins snapped a seven-game conference losing streak for the RedStorm. 

Rio and Cumberlands will play Friday and Saturday in Williamsburg, KY. Friday's first game is set for 4 p.m.