Resilient RedStorm rallies past Bearcats

Rio Grande Sports Information
     OWENSBORO, Ky. - The University of Rio Grande scored three times in the eighth inning to cap its fourth come-from-behind rally of the game and defeat host Brescia University, 10-9, Saturday night, in the opening game of a three-game River States Conference baseball series at Kamuf Park.
     The RedStorm improved to 7-13 overall and 1-0 in the RSC with the win.
     Brescia dropped to 4-13 overall and 0-1 in league play as a result of the loss.
     The Bearcats enjoyed leads of 1-0 in the first inning, 4-3 in the third, 7-4 in the fifth and 9-7 in the sixth, but couldn't maintain any of their cushions.
     Rio Grande recorded a trio of three-run frames in the contest, the last of which came in the top of the eighth to give the RedStorm the lead for good.
     Senior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) led off the frame with a home run which trimmed the deficit to 9-8 and, after an infield single to shortstop by junior Braeden Gaul (Huntington, WV), senior Luke Lindamood (Minford, OH) followed a two-run home run to left to give Rio the lead.
     The Bearcats threatened in the home half of the inning when Cason Troutman and Camden Brothers had consecutive one-out singles off of Rio sophomore reliever Hayden Simon (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada), but junior Reid Shultz (Minford, OH) came on to record back-to-back groundouts to end the threat.
     Junior Beiker Fuentes (Crystal Lake, IL) came on to pitch for Rio Grande in the bottom of the night and surrendered a leadoff single to Demarco Miller.
     Miller was then bunted into scoring position by Gavin Huebner, but Fuentes rebounded to record consecutive strikeouts of Bryce Gamble and Jonathan Foti to secure the win.
     Lindamood led Rio Grande offensively by going 3-for-4 with the home run, a double and three runs batted in.
     Jordan was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI, while freshman Omar Chirinos (Santa Rita City, Venezuela) had two hits - including a triple - and three runs scored in his RedStorm debut.
     Junior Waskar Martinez (Santiago, D.R.) also had two hits in the winning effort.
     Simon earned his second win in three decisions for the RedStorm, allowing five hits and two runs over three innings, while Fuentes recorded his first save.
     Schon Pespisa took the loss in relief for Brescia, allowing seven hits and six runs - four earned - over three innings.
     Troutman finished 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Miller also had three hits and drove in a run for the Bearcats.
     Kendal Kortz and Darian Pretorious had two hits and two RBI each in a losing cause.
     Huebner also had a double for Brescia.
     The two teams will wrap up their series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. EST.