RedStorm takes down Grenadiers in RSC opener

Rio Grande Sports Information
     LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Rio Grande erased an early deficit by scoring three times in both the fifth and seventh innings and then held on down the stretch for a 7-5 win over Indiana University Southeast in the River States Conference baseball opener for both schools, Saturday evening, at St. Xavier High School.
     The RedStorm pushed their overall mark to 9-11 with the victory.
     The Grenadiers, who made things quite interesting with a three-run rally in the home half of the ninth inning, dropped to 3-10 as a result of the loss.
     Rio Grande took a 1-0 first inning lead thanks to a solo home run by senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH), but Southeast grabbed the lead in the third inning thanks to a run-scoring groundout by Ben Berenda and an RBI infield single by Ryan Kassell.
     That's how things stayed until the top of the fifth when the RedStorm pushed across a trio of markers to take a lead that it would relinquish.
     Junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) plated the tying run, a sacrifice fly to right by junior Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) put Rio in front and a bases-loaded walk to freshman pinch-hitter Caden Buxton (Carrollton, OH) made it a 4-2 cushion.
     The advantage then ballooned to 7-2 in the seventh inning thanks to an RBI single by Surrell and a two-run single to right by junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH).
     Rio freshman starter Jacob Napier (Alexandria, KY) was solid on the mound, allowing four hits and four walks along with the two runs over seven innings. He also fanned seven en route to his second win in as many decisions.
     However, things got a bit hairy in the bottom of the ninth against sophomore Reid Shultz (Minford, OH), who'd come on in relief of Napier and tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
     Trevor Goodwin opened the ninth with a double to right-center, Slater Schied had a single to right and Garrett Jones tripled to left to score both runners and make it 7-4.
     Brayden Hazelwood singled home Jones to draw the Grenadiers within 7-5 and Trevor Campbell drew a walk, prompting Rio head coach Brad Warnimont to lift Shultz in favor of junior Lane Mettler (Bainbridge, OH).
     Mettler struck out Mason White looking before inducing Kody Putnam to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double-play and secure his second save of the year.
     Surrell and Thomas both finished with two hits and two RBI for the RedStom, while junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) was 2-for-4 with a double.
     Jones finished 2-for-3 with the two RBI for IUS, while White was 2-for-5 and Putnam also had a double in a losing cause.
     Luke Schafer (1-3) started and lost for the Grenadiers, allowing five hits and five walks along with four runs over 4-2/3 innings.
     The two schools will wrap up their weekend series with a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.