13-run inning sparks RedStorm in rout of ALC

Rio Grande Sports Information
     PIPPA PASSES, Ky. - Jakob Johnson clubbed a three-run home run and Angel De La Cruz hit a three-run double to highlight a 13-run fourth inning uprising which fueled the University of Rio Grande's mercy rule-shortened 20-1 rout of Alice Lloyd College, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference baseball action at Fred Mullinax Athletic Field.
     Rio Grande improved to 12-19 overall and 5-8 in conference play with the victory.
     The host Eagles dropped to 11-19 overall and 0-12 in the RSC as a result of the loss.
     Rio carried a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning thanks to two-run frames in both the first and third innings, but turned the game completely lopsided in the fourth by sending 17 batters to plate and scoring 13 times.
     Twelve of the 13 runs came with two outs.
     Senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. He stole second and moved to third on a bunt single by junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH), but was forced out at home on junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) reached on a fielder's choice grounder to first.
     Junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) singled home Jordan and, one out later, Johnson - a junior from Pickerington, Ohio - was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
De La Cruz, a sophomore from Santo Domingo, D.R., followed with a bases-clearing double to, while junior Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) connected on a run-scoring double of his own for a 9-0 lead.
     Sophomore Alex Scoular (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) and Surrell drew consecutive walks to load the bases before Jordan was hit by a pitch to plate another run.
     Thomas and Rutherford had back-to-back bases-loaded walks to force home two more runs and make it 12-0, before graduate senior Andrew Daria (Villa Hills, KY) got in on the act with a two-run single.
     Johnson then drilled his three-run home run to right field to culminate the offensive explosion.
     The RedStom tacked on a single run in the fifth and two more markers in the sixth to push their cushion to 20-0, while ALC avoided a shutout with a run in the home half of the sixth.
     Daria finished 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Rutherford had two hits and three RBI to lead Rio, De La Cruz drove in four runs and Johnson finished with three RBI.
     Freshman Jacob Napier (Alexandria, KY) picked up his fourth win in five decisions, allowing four hits and a run while striking out five over six innings.
     Dawson Beckett started and lost for Alice Lloyd, surrendering seven hits, four walks and nine runs - all earned - over 3-2/3 innings.
     Kizer Turner tripled, TJay Mullins doubled and Ryan Cozart drove in a run for the Eagles.
     The two teams will conclude their weekend series on Sunday with a doubleheader.
     Game one is scheduled for a noon first pitch.