Big innings lead RedStorm past Bluefield

Rio Grande Sports Information
     RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande scored twice in both the third and fourth innings and never looked back, cruising to an 8-3 win over Bluefield (Va.) University, Tuesday afternoon, in non-conference baseball action at Bob Evans Field.
     The RedStorm stopped a four-game losing slide, bolstering their season record to 10-19.
     The win also snapped a nine-game losing streak against Bluefield and was Rio's first triumph against the Rams since sweeping a doubleheader in Bluefield on Feb. 19, 2017.
     The RedStorm added a single marker in the fifth inning before Bluefield (12-9) got the run back in the sixth to make it 5-1.
     Rio secured the win with three more runs in the eighth inning, while the Rams scored twice in the ninth to set the final score.
     Seniors Darius Jordan (Minford, OH) and Austin Kendall (Troy, OH) had run-scoring hits in the third, while junior Braeden Gaul (Huntington, WV) and Jordan drove in the fourth inning markers and senior Angel Cruz (Santo Domingo, D.R.) hit a solo home run in the fifth.
     All three RedStorm runs in the eighth inning were aided by the Bluefield battery, with one scoring on a passed ball, one on a wild pitch and the other on a balk.
     Jordan, Cruz, sophomore Josh Whent (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada) and freshman Omar Chirinos (Santa Rita City, Venezuela) all had two hits in the winning effort. Chirinos' hit total included a double.
     Junior Gabe Carter (Huntington, WV), the first of seven Rio Grande pitchers, picked up his first win of the season by tossing three shutout innings. He allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out five.
     Sophomore Hayden Simon (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada) earned his second save of the season, allowing four hits and a pair of unearned runs over 1-1/3 innings.
     Nick Duncan started and took the loss for Bluefield, surrendering four hits and four runs - three earned - over four innings.
     Brady Joslyn, Sean Seale and Nick Guerra all had two hits for the Rams, while Matt Beisecker drove in two runs.
     Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday when it opens a three-game River States Conference weekend series against Point Park University at Wild Things Park in Washington, Pa.
     First pitch for the opener is set for noon.