Thomas leads Rio to split with Lions

Rio Grande Sports Information
     DAYTON, Tenn. - AJ Thomas homered, doubled and drove in four runs to lead the University of Rio Grande to a 10-3 game two win over Bryan College and a doubleheader split with the host Lions on Saturday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at Senter Field.
     Bryan, which posted a pair of one-run wins over the RedStorm on Friday, secured the four-game weekend series by rolling to a 13-0 victory in game one.
     The Lions finished the weekend with a 5-2 record.
     Rio Grande headed back north with a 3-7 mark following the split.
     Thomas, a junior from Pickerington, Ohio, did his damage late in the nightcap, clubbing an RBI double in a two-run fifth inning which helped extend the RedStorm's lead to 6-3 and smacking a three-run home run - his sixth longball of the young season - in a four-run sixth inning uprising which helped seal the victory.
     Senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) went 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs in the winning effort, while junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) was also 2-for-4 with a run batted in.
     Senior John Arcaro (Trinity, FL) and junior Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) both had two hits of their own in the win, while graduate senior Andrew Daria (Villa Hills, KY) contributed two RBI.
     Sophomore Reid Shultz (Minford, OH) earned the win in relief for Rio Grande, allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings. He also struck out two.
     Bryson Lofton led Bryan's offensive output with three hits, while Cameron Harvey started and took the loss for the Lions after allowing three hits, two walks and four runs over four innings.
     Saturday's opener was all Bryan, which scored twice in the first inning to take a lead it would never relinquish.
     The Lions scored four more times in the fourth to push their lead to 6-0, then blew things wide open with another run in the fifth inning and six more markers in their final at bat of the contest.
     Rio Grande, on the other hand, finished with more errors (3) than it had hits (2). Both of the hits were singles.
     Danny Marquez led BC's 13-hit attack by going 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, while Dante Morton was 3-for-3 with a double and a run batted in.
     Alex Rollins also doubled and drove in two runs for the Lions.
     Junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing five hits and six runs - five earned - over 3-2/3 innings. He also issued five walks.
     Tanner Moylan started and tossed five shutout innings, allowing the two hits and a pair of walks to earn the win. He also struck out five.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action next Saturday, weather permitting, with its home opener against Cleary (Mich.) University.