Bears end post-season hopes for RedStorm

Rio Grande Sports Information
     PORTSMOUTH, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande remained afloat following an early scoring spurt from rival Shawnee State University.
     Unfortunately, though, not even a fourth inning rain delay could help the RedStorm right their collective ship and navigate the wake created by one more big surge from the Bears.
     The hosts blew open a still relatively tight affair by scoring eight runs in the fifth inning and never looking back in a 16-5 mercy rule-shortened series opener, Friday afternoon, at soggy Branch Rickey Park.
     Shawnee State improved to 25-14 overall and 12-9 in the RSC with its seventh consecutive victory.
     Rio Grande dropped to 17-27 overall and 8-14 in league play and officially saw its slim post-season hopes dashed with the loss.
     Head coach Brad Warnimont's team needed a series sweep, a sweep of Brescia by Midway and at least one loss by WVU-Tech to Indiana University Southeast in order to qualify for the RSC Tournament, which begins next week at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.
     The RedStorm trailed 3-1 after one inning, but pushed across single markers in both the second and third frames to tie the game at 3-3.
     Shawnee State regained the lead with four runs in the home third as a steady rain fell, eventually forcing the contest to be halted.
     When play resumed, Rio scored a fourth inning run to close the gap to 7-4, but the Bears exploded in the bottom of the fifth to turn things lopsided and hasten the run-rule win.
     Jace Parnin led the SSU assault, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and three runs knocked in.
     Nolan Tressler and Diego Mendoza added two hits and three RBI each for the Bears, while Eli Jones also had two hits and Zach Gaspar drove in two runs. One of Mendoza's hits was a double.
     Jakobe Reese, the last of three Shawnee State pitchers, picked up the win. He allowed three hits and a run with seven strikeouts over 3-2/3 innings.
     Freshman Connor Gullett (Cincinnati, OH) started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing four hits, four walks and seven runs over three innings.
     Senior Beiker Fuentes (Crystal Lake, IL) drove in three runs in a losing cause for the RedStorm, while junior Josiah Devapalan (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) doubled and drove in a run and redshirt sophomore Brett Haskins (Evans, WV) had a double.
     The two teams are scheduled to close out the three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at noon.