Oakland City holds off Rio in series opener

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Oakland City University snapped a 3-all tie with a pair of fifth inning runs and then added an insurance marker in the ninth inning for a 6-3 victory over the University of Rio Grande, Sunday afternoon, in River States Conference baseball action at an arctic-like Bob Evans Field.
     The Mighty Oaks improved to 18-6 overall and 3-1 in league play with the win.
     Rio Grande dropped to 8-15 overall and 2-2 in the RSC with the loss.
     The RedStorm mounted scoring opportunities in three of their four at bats after Oakland City took the lead for good, but failed to dent the plate while stranding seven runners - including three in scoring position.
     Rio Grande actually brought the would-be tying run to the plate after putting its first two batters on base in the bottom of the ninth inning.
     Senior Austin Kendall (Troy, OH) led off with a pinch-hit single and freshman Samuel Colina (Maracaibo, Venezuela) - who was making his first at bat of the season - drew a walk, but Oakland City's Evan Price, the last of three hurlers for the Mighty Oaks, recorded back-to-back strikeouts of junior Beiker Fuentes (Crystal Lake, IL) and pinch-hitter Seth Mills before retiring senior Angel Cruz (Santo Domingo, D.R.) on a routine grounder to first to nail down the win.
     Rio grabbed a 1-0 second inning lead on a run-scoring double by freshman Omar Chirinos (Santa Rita City, Venezuela), but the Oaks got a run-scoring groundout by Aron Busick in the third inning to tie game and a pair of runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 advantage.
     The RedStorm tied the game in the home fourth thanks to an RBI single by junior Waskar Martinez (Santiago, D.R.) and a wild pitch, but Oakland City regained the lead in the fifth when a wild pitch - one of five thrown in the game by Rio Grande - scored one run and a base hit by Noah Baugher plated another.
     A wild pitch also plated the Mighty Oaks' ninth inning insurance run.
     Baugher finished with three hits to lead the visitors, while Fred Fernandez and Marcos Arocho had two hits each and Artem Logvinov contributed an RBI double.
     Owen Spears allowed two hits and three walks over 3-1/3 innings of relief, but did not surrender a run en route to earning the victory.
     The save was Price's first of year.
     OCU starter Thomas King, who had a sub-1.00 earned run average entering the contest, allowed six hits and three runs - all earned - while walking three and fanning 10 in 4-2/3 innings.
     Oakland City pitching allowed eight hits and six walks, but also struck out 15 Rio batters.
     Sophomore Daewin Spence (Potsmouth, OH) started and took the loss for the RedStorm, allowing six hits and five runs - all earned - over five innings. He also walked four and threw four wild pitches.
     Fuentes and Chirinos both had two hits, including a double, while junior Likeiry Jimenez (Reading, PA) also had a double in the loss.
     Rio Grande also lost senior slugger AJ Thomas (Pickerington, OH) to a shoulder injury during his at bat to end the third inning. His status moving forward was unclear following the game.
     The two teams close out their weather-delayed weekend series on Monday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.