OCU rallies in 9th, drops RedStorm

Rio Grande Sports Information
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio - Sports season are often defined by a momentous win or, in some cases, a devastating loss.
Following Friday afternoon's series opener against Ohio Christian University, the University of Rio Grande baseball team finds itself hoping for the former rather than the latter.
The Trailblazers scored eight times in the bottom of the ninth inning for an improbable 12-11 victory over the RedStorm in River States Conference play at Olson Field.
Ohio Christian improved to 9-25 overall and 3-15 against conference foes.
Rio Grande dropped to 14-29 overall and 7-12 in league play with the loss. The RedStorm failed to take advantage of an opportunity to tie Oakland City University, which lost its series opener to Asbury University on Friday, for the sixth and final spot in the upcoming RSC Tournament.

The game marked the 14th time this season that Rio pitching surrendered 10 runs or more and the fifth time that the opposition scored seven or more runs in a single inning.
Rio enjoyed a 9-1 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning and an 11-4 advantage heading to the home ninth, but the Trailblazers turned six hits, three errors, a hit batsman and a walk against four RedStorm hurlers into the improbable game-winning rally.
The comeback began harmlessly enough after sophomore reliever Trey White (Crooksville, OH) retired the first batter of the inning, but Ian Rycenga was hit by a pitch and consecutive singles by Jarod Hamlin and Bryant Lung loaded the bases.
Seth Nichols followed with a two-run single and another run scored on a single by Shawn Grider to make it 11-7. Logan Kottenbrook greeted freshman Carter Smith with a run-scoring hit before Brandon Seiler reached on an error to load the bases.
Freshman Victor Tyo (Grove City, OH) replaced Smith to face Hunter Holt, who reached on an error to slice the deficit to 11-9. Colton Lee drew a walk to force home another run and sophomore Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) was brought on to replace Tyo.
Rycenga reached on an error to tie the game and Hamlin followed with a single to plate the game-winner.
The rally wasted another strong pitching performance from Rio graduate senior starter Zach Kendall (Troy, OH), who scattered eight hits and three unearned runs over seven innings. The right-hander also fanned seven.
Surrell went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and three RBI in the loss, while Cluxton had three hits of his own and senior Kent Reeser (Miamisburg, OH) went 2-for-5 with a home run, a triple and two runs batted in.
Senior Jesse Watson (Las Cruces, NM) added a pair of doubles and two RBI for the RedStorm.
Nichols went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Kottenbrook had three hits and an RBI and Lung finished 3-for-5 with a double. Holt, Hamlin and Grider all had two hits in the win, while Lee drove in two runs.
Jon Pierce, the last of five OCU pitchers, earned the win, allowing two hits and a run in one inning.
The series concludes on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.