Rio closes out weekend with win

Rio Grande Sports Information
     JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The University of Rio Grande built a 6-0 fourth inning lead and then used a four-run eighth inning to pull away for good in an 11-3 triumph over Thomas More (Ky.) University, Sunday afternoon, in the final day of the "Clash of the Conferences" hosted by Milligan University at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
     The RedStorm snapped a three-game losing slide, improving to 2-4 with the victory.
     The Saints, who are in their final season as a member of the NAIA before moving to NCAA Division II, slipped to 1-2 with the loss.
     Rio Grande struck for a pair of first inning markers before scoring four times in the fourth inning for a 6-0 advantage.
     The Saints cut the deficit in half with three fifth inning runs, but the RedStorm countered with four more runs in the eighth inning and another in the final frame to set the final score.
     Junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) finished 5-for-5 and drove in a run to fuel the winning effort, while senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI and sophomore Alex Scoular (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) finished with two hits and a run batted in.
     Junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) hit a three-run home run in the four-run eighth, while also collecting a double in his five at bats.
     Junior Jakob Johnson (Pickerington, OH) added a double and two RBI for Rio, while sophomore Angel De La Cruz Fermina (Santo Domingo, D.R.) tripled and scored twice.
     Senior Trey White (Crooksville, OH), the second of four RedStorm pitchers, picked up the win in relief despite allowing five hits and three runs over 3-2/3 innings.
     Mason Berger started and took the loss for Thomas More, surrendering five hits, a pair of walks and five runs - all earned - in 3-1/3 innings on the bump.
     Bailey Martin went 2-for-5 with a double and a run batted in for the Saints, while Jeremy Ward doubled and drove in a run.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Friday when it opens a four-game weekend series at Bryan College in Dayton, Tenn.
     First pitch for Friday's lid-lifter is set for noon.