Game one win helps RedStorm earn another split

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Jacob Napier and Hayden Simon teamed to toss a one-hit shutout and Daniel Rutherford hit his first home run of the season to lead the University of Rio Grande in a 1-0 game one victory over Cleary (Mich.) University, Monday afternoon, in non-conference baseball action at Bob Evans Field.
     The visiting Cougars earned a split of the twinbill by posting a 5-1 win in the nightcap.
     Rio Grande finished the day at 5-9, while Cleary saw its record move to 6-4.
     Napier, a freshman right-hander from Alexandria, Ky., started the opener for the RedStorm and tossed the first five innings. He issued five walks in his stint on the mound, but also struck out five and allowed just one hit - a one-out fifth inning single by Marcel Garcia.
     Simon, a freshman from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings to notch his first collegiate save.
     Rio Grande had just five hits itself, but one - a leadoff second inning homer to right by Rutherford, a junior from Coal Grove, Ohio, on the first pitch thrown by Cleary starter Jacob Savina - provided what proved to be the game's lone run.
     Senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) added a double in the winning effort for the RedStorm.
     Savina, who was a hard-luck loser in his first outing of the season, suffered the same fate against Rio in a route-going performance. He allowed the five hits and one run, while walking just one and striking out two.
     For the second straight day, Cleary avoided a sweep by taking game two.
     The Cougars scored three times in the second inning to snap an early 1-1 tie and rode a solid pitching performance from starter Lucas Withers and two relievers to earn the split.
     Withers improved to 2-0, allowing just four hits, a walk and the one run over five innings. He also struck out six.
     Jeremy Fuchs allowed two hits and had to wiggle out of a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, while Colin Brazil tossed a scoreless seventh inning to nail down the victory.
     Sophomore Gabe Carter started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing four hits, three walks and four runs over just 1-2/3 innings.
     Ethan Hollister had run-scoring hits in each of the first two innings for the Cougars, while Ben Cerven had a two-run double in the three-run second.
     Jesnel Soto led CU's 13-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with a double, while Hollister, Garcia and Billy Flohr all had two hits each. Kristian Scalf also had a double.
     Rio Grande's lone run came when Surrell led off the first with a double and scored on a two-out double by Rutherford.
     Surrell and junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) both finished 2-for-3 in the loss.
     Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action Saturday and Sunday, when it hosts Aquinas (Mich.) University for a pair of seven-inning contests each day.
     First pitch is slated for noon each day.