Rio Grande Sports Information
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Years from now, when a discussion centers about how the 2023 season came to end for the University of Rio Grande baseball team, it can never be said that the RedStorm didn't empty their tank and leave everything on the field.
Head coach Brad Warnimont's physically-worn, pitching-thin squad eliminated top-seeded Midway University before bowing out themselves following a second straight loss to No. 3 seed Indiana University Southeast on Saturday in the River States Conference Championship at VA Memorial Stadium.
Rio Grande, the No. 5 seed in the six-team, double-elimination tourney, opened the day with a 7-5, 10-inning triumph over Midway in an elimination contest, but dropped an 8-3 decision to the Grenadiers in the final game of the day.
The RedStorm, who fell victim to a late IUS rally in an 8-6 loss on Friday night, finished the season at 26-28.
Southeast (33-18) moved to within one win of the tournament title and into a matchup with No. 2 seed Point Park in Sunday's championship.
The Pioneers ousted Indiana University Kokomo, 14-6, in Saturday's other elimination game and needs a pair of wins over IUS to win the crown and earn the league's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.
Rio Grande began its day by ousting Midway in a dramatic, see-saw affair.
The Eagles (27-22), who already punched their ticket to national tournament play by winning the RSC's regular season championship, erased a pair of early deficits by scoring twice in the home fourth inning to forge a 3-3 tie and then scoring with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 4-3 advantage.
The RedStorm regained the lead in the top of the ninth on consecutive two-out RBI singles by junior Daniel Rutherford (Coal Grove, OH) and graduate senior Andrew Daria (Villa Hills, KY), but Midway forced extra innings thanks to a two-run run-scoring hit by Ayden Sciandra in the bottom of the frame.
Rio Grande regained the edge in the 10th when sophomore Braeden Gaul (Huntington, WV) led off with a walk, senior John Arcaro (Trinity, FL) doubled freshman pinch-runner Daewin Spence (Portsmouth, OH) to third and sophomore Alex Scoular (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) sent both runners home with a single up the middle.
Midway managed to bring the potential tying run to the plate with no outs in the bottom of the 10th after Grant Hotchkiss drew a leadoff walk from freshman reliever Hayden Simon (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada), but Ethan Glasscock lined into a double-play and - after a single by Ryan Davis - Cameron Nichols fouled out to left to end the game.
Rutherford, Daria, Arcaro and senior Clayton Surrell (Carroll, OH) all had two hits and a run batted for Rio Grande, while Gaul finished 2-for-3 and sophomore Angel De La Cruz (Santo Domingo, D.R.) had a double.
Daria and Arcaro also had doubles in the victory.
Junior Lane Mettler (Bainbridge, OH) earned his third win in five decisions with two innings of relief work, while Simon collected his third save.
Jesse Komoroski took the loss for Midway in his first decision of the year. After allowing just one run for the entire season entering the contest, he surrendered five hits and four runs - two earned - over two innings.
Hotchkiss was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI to lead the Eagles, while Shane Taylor finished 3-for-5 and Sciandra added two hits and a run batted in.
Davis and Nick Eastham contributed two hits apiece in a losing cause.
In Saturday night's rematch with IU Southeast, Rio Grande showed the effects of playing 27 innings of baseball in a span of 24 hours.
The RedStorm took a 1-0 first inning lead on an infield single by Daria, but the Grenadiers scored singles markers in each of the first five at bats before scoring twice in the sixth to extend the lead to 7-1.
Rio got two runs back in the seventh inning on a single by De La Cruz, but could get no closer.
IUS tacked on an additional run in the home half of the eighth inning to set the final score.
De La Cruz, Daria and Arcaro all had two hits in the loss for the RedStorm.
Rutherford started and took the loss for Rio, allowing seven hits and five runs over 4-1/3 innings.
Tyler Yotkewich, the reigning RSC Pitcher of the Week, allowed nine hits and the three runs over seven innings to get his eighth win in 10 decisions.
Trevor Campbell was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles for the Grenadiers, while Mason White homered and drove in two runs.
Brayden Hazelwood, Blake Cook and Slate Schield also had two hits each for Southeast. Hazelwood and Alex Yurt each doubled.
The season-ending loss marked the final game in a Rio uniform for Arcaro, Daria, Surrell and senior Trey White (Crooksville, OH), as well as for juniors AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH), Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) and Brady Choban (Wadsworth, OH).
