Rio Grande Sports Information
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande shook off a disappointing game one loss by parlaying a pair of six-run innings into a game two rout and a split of its Tuesday afternoon baseball doubleheader with rival Shawnee State University at Branch Rickey Park.
The host Bears built a double-digit lead and then held off a furious comeback effort by the RedStorm for a 12-11 win in the opener, while Rio cruised to a 15-2 victory in the back end of the twin bill.
Rio Grande, playing its final non-conference contests of the season, finished the day at 21-23.
The split left Shawnee State with an overall mark of 7-33.
The game two triumph saw Rio score six times in the second inning to open up a 7-0 lead and - after the Bears scored twice in the third - tack on six more markers in the fourth inning to turn the game lopsided.
Junior AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) highlighted the six-run second with a grand slam home run, while junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) hit a solo home run as part of the six-run fourth. Thomas finished with five runs batted in, while Rutherford drove in a pair.
Senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) finished 2-for-3 with two runs batted in, while junior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) doubled and drove in two and graduate senior Andrew Daria (Villa Hills, KY) contributed a double of his own.
Sophomore Reid Shultz (Minford, OH), the first of four Rio pitchers, earned the win after allowing six hits and two runs over four innings. He also struck out six.
Austin Crawford started and took the loss for Shawnee State, surrendering a hit, four walks and six runs over just 1-1/3 innings.
Eric Oakes homered, doubled and drove in one run for the Bears, while Diego Mendoza went 2-for-2, Kyle Eslick tripled and Noah Sniadach had a double in a losing cause.
In game one, Shawnee State clubbed five home runs en route to a 10-0 lead after four innings.
Rio Grande scored once in the fifth inning and five times in the sixth to close the gap to 10-6, but the Bears added what proved to be a pair of insurance runs in the home sixth to make it 12-6.
The runs turned out to be needed because the RedStorm scored five more times in the seventh to pull within 12-11 and had the would-be tying run in scoring position before a game-ending pickoff at second base.
For all of the offensive damage Rio mounted over the final two innings, the RedStorm also had three runners picked off over the course of the final two frames, including two in the seventh.
Thomas finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in, while Surrell was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
Rutherford doubled a drove in two runs in the loss, while Jordan doubled and drove in a run and senior John Arcaro (Trinity, FL) also had a double.
Junior Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) started and suffered the loss for Rio after being touched up eight runs in just 1-2/3 innings.
Ethan Ison got the win as the starter for Shawnee State with four shutout innings, despite allowing three hits and walking four.
Oakes led SSU at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three runs batted in, while Charles Douglas had three hits of his own, including a triple, in the win.
Zach Gaspar was 2-for-3 with a home run for the Bears, while Noah Rezner was 2-for-4. Mendoza and Tyler Lund each homered and drove in two runs, Sniadach had a home run and Tanner Lund finished with a triple and three RBI.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Friday when it opens the final home series of the regular season against River States Conference rival West Virginia University-Tech at Bob Evans Field.
First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
The final two games of the series have been moved to Sunday, beginning at noon, as a result of the forecast of inclement weather on Saturday.
