Cougars rally late, slip past RedStorm

Rio Grande Sports Information
     KOKOMO, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo coughed up a three-run first inning lead, but rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 5-4 win over the University of Rio Grande in River States Conference baseball action, Friday evening, at Municipal Stadium.
     The Cougars improved to 25-19 overall and 15-10 in league play with the win, moving one game in front of the RedStorm for fourth place in the RSC standings.
     Rio Grande dropped to 24-24 overall and 14-11 against conference foes.
     The RedStorm erased a 3-0 first inning deficit by scoring three times in the second inning and pushing across a sixth inning marker to take a 4-3 lead.
     But IUK mounted its go-ahead rally in the eighth when Luke Barnes led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Garrett Lupoi.
     Lupoi was bunted into scoring position before Jarod Gillespie singled to left to tie the game.
     Gavin Smith then came on to run for Gillespie, who had reached second on a throwing error, before Riley Garczynski greeted junior reliever Lane Mettler (Bainbridge, OH) - who entered in relief of sophomore Reid Shultz (Minford, OH) - with a single to center that plated the go-ahead run.
     The RedStorm mounted a rally of their own in the top of the ninth when sophomore Braeden Gaul (Huntington, WV) was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and, subsequently, was bunted into scoring position.
     Gaul then moved to third on a flyout, but was left stranded when IUK reliever Connor Hurt retired sophomore Angel De La Cruz (Santo Domingo, D.R.) to end the game.
     Garczynski and Thomas Obergfell each had two hits, including a double, while Noah Hurlock had a bases-loaded triple which gave the host Cougars their first inning advantage.
     Brandon Bultemeier picked up the win in relief, tossing 2-2/3 scoreless innings. Hurt recorded his second save.
     Shultz suffered the loss, allowing four hits and two runs - one earned - over 5-2/3 innings.
     Gaul and sophomore Alex Scoular (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) drove in runs for Rio Grande.
     The two teams will wrap up their respective regular season schedules on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.