Rio spots Eagles early lead, rallies to win series opener

Rio Grande Sports Information
     PIPPA PASSES Ky. - Josh Whent's go-ahead two-run triple highlighted a four-run fourth inning rally which lifted the University of Rio Grande to a 6-2 come-from-behind win over Alice Lloyd College, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference baseball action at Fred Mullinax Athletic Field.
     The RedStorm improved to 15-25 overall and 7-12 in league play with the win.
     Alice Lloyd dropped to 16-25 overall and 3-16 in the RSC as a result of the loss.
     The host Eagles grabbed an early two-run lead thanks to single runs in both the second and third innings, but Rio Grande mounted its go-ahead rally in the fourth against ALC starter Dawson Beckett.
     Junior Likeiry Jimenez (Reading, PA) and sophomore Darwin Oleaga (Boston, MA) reached on consecutive one-out singles before junior Waskar Martinez (Santiago, D.R.) doubled to left to make it 2-1.
     Whent, a sophomore from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, put the RedStorm in front by following with a two-run triple to right.
     Freshman Omar Chirinos (Santa Rita City, Venezuela) plated Whent moments later with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-2.
     Rio Grande scored its final runs in the sixth inning on a two-run double by senior Darius Jordan (Minford, OH).
     Sophomore Daewin Spence (Portsmouth, OH) started and got the win for the RedStorm, allowing four hits and the two runs over five innings. The right-hander made things tough on himself, though, by also issuing six walks, hitting a batter and delivering a wild pitch.
     Junior Reid Shultz (Minford, OH) and sophomore Hayden Simon (Stouffville, Onatrio, Canada) maintained the lead down the stretch, combining on four innings of two-hit, shutout relief.
     Whent and Jordan both finished 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Oleaga also had two hits in the winning effort.
     Thomas Mullins went 2-for-4 with a double and Caleb Justice had two hits of his own for Alice Lloyd.
     Beckett took the loss, allowing nine hits and six runs over six innings.
     The two teams wrap up their weekend series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at noon.