Rio falters late as Grenadiers rally for win

Rio Grande Sports Information
     NEW ALBANY, Ind. - Cole Reynolds and Hazel Martinez each had two-run singles in a five-run seventh inning rally to lead No. 11-ranked Indiana University Southeast to an eventual 10-4 come-from-behind victory over the University of Rio Grande, Friday night, in River States Conference baseball action at the Koetter Sports Baseball Complex.
     The host Grenadiers improved to 26-9 overall and 13-2 in conference play with the win.
     Rio Grande dropped to 15-23 overall and 6-10 in the RSC as a result of the loss.
     The RedStorm looked as if they might be on their way to an upset win after scoring twice in the sixth inning and once in the top of the seventh to erase a 2-0 deficit, but IU Southeast countered with its own rally in the form of its uprising in home half of the seventh.
     Rio Grande got one of the runs back in the eighth, but the Grenadiers tacked on three more markers in the bottom of the inning to put their win on ice.
     Logan Beard finished 2-for-2 with a run batted in, while Kannon Stull collected two hits of his own, Nolan Bowser drove in three runs and Logan Murphy had a double in the winning effort.
     Eli Laurent started and got the win for IUS, allowing seven hits and three runs over seven innings.
     Freshman Connor Gullett (Cincinnati, OH) started and took the loss for Rio Grande, surrendering five hits, five walks and five runs - four earned - in six-plus innings.
     Junior Josiah Devapalan (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) finished 3-for-4 with two RBI for the RedStorm, while redshirt sophomore Brett Haskins (Evans, WV) doubled and drove in a run.
     The two teams will conclude their three-game weekend series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.