Rio Grande Sports Information
HUNTINGBURG, Ind. - Oakland City University rallied for a game one win and rolled to a game two victory, sweeping a River States Conference baseball doubleheader from the University of Rio Grande, Sunday afternoon, at League Stadium.
The Mighty Oaks pulled even with the RedStorm in conference play by posting wins of 9-5 and 7-1.
The series was originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but was shifted to a doubleheader on Sunday and the series finale on Monday due to inclement weather.
Oakland City improved to 19-8 overall and 3-5 in the RSC with the sweep.
The two losses left Rio Grande at 10-16 overall and 3-5 against league foes.
The RedStorm failed to maintain a pair of early leads in the opener, with the Mighty Oaks scoring four times in the home half of the fourth inning to erase a 3-2 deficit and take a lead they would never relinquish.
Rio Grande, which had nearly twice as many hits as its host (13-7), scored twice in the top of the fifth to close within a run, but Oakland City closed the game with three unanswered runs to set the final score.
Sam Pinckert went 3-for-3 with a home run, while Xander Willis drove in a pair of run for the Mighty Oaks.
Gehrig Tenhumber picked up his fourth win in as many decisions for OCU, despite allowing nine hits and five runs - four earned - over five innings.
Freshman Jacob Napier (Alexandria, KY) started and took the loss - his first in four decisions - for Rio, allowing two hits, three walks, two hit batsmen and six runs over 3-1/3 innings.
Senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) went 4-for-4 with a walk to lead the RedStorm at the plate, while sophomore Angel de la Cruz (Santo Domingo, D.R.) had three hits, including a double.
The walk for Surrell allowed him to become the school's all-time leader in the category.
Junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) finished 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a losing cause, while junior Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) was 2-for-4 with a run batted in.
Game two saw Oakland City push across a single run in each of the first three innings and, after Rio scored once in the top of the fourth, the Mighty Oaks scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to put the win on ice.
Willis led the Mighty Oaks, finishing 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Jared Kirkman was 2-for-4 with a run batted in, while Aron Busick and Pinckert also had two hits each.
Busick's hit total included a double.
Ben Simmons went the distance for OCU, allowing six hits and no walks with four strikeouts over seven innings.
Junior Brady Choban (Wadsworth, OH) started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing two hits and two runs over one-plus innings.
Junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) had two hits in the loss for the RedStorm, while graduate senior Andrew Daria (Villa Hills, KY) doubled and junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) drove in a run.
Monday's series wrapup is set for noon EDT first pitch.
