Rio Grande Sports Information
HOWELL, Mich. - The University of Rio Grande picked up an extra-inning victory as part of a doubleheader split with Cleary University, Tuesday afternoon, in non-conference baseball action at Lake Trust Stadium.
The RedStorm posted an 8-7 win in eight innings in the opener before dropping a 7-1 decision in the back end of the twin bill.
The split left Rio Grande at 16-14 for the season.
The host Cougars finished the day at 14-10.
Cleary led game one 6-2 after two innings, but the RedStorm scored twice in the fourth and fifth innings and once in the sixth to forge at 7-7 deadlock.
Rio finished the comeback in the top of the eighth when junior Caleb Asjes (Overland Park, KS) reached on a one-out bunt single and scored when senior Josiah Devapalan's (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) flyball to right field was dropped for an error.
The Cougars put two runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but senior Schon Pespisa (El Monte, CA) induced Dylan Cambron to foul out to end the game.
Pespisa earned his second win in as many decisions with two innings of two-hit shutout relief.
Freshman KB Perkins (Chillicothe, OH) went 3-for-4 with a double and a run batted in, while redshirt junior Brett Haskins (Ripley, WV) had two hits - including a double - and drove in two runs for the RedStorm.
Devapalan and sophomore Gregory Catano (Santo Domingo, D.R.) both had two hits and a run batted in, Asjes finished 2-for-4 and sophomore Riley Wooldridge (Cincinnati, OH) tripled and drove in a run.
Josh Lucier, the last of five Cleary pitchers, took the loss. He allowed two hits and the unearned run over 2-2/3 innings.
Brendan Seman went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Ryan Rose was 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in for the Cougars. Cambron was also 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
In the nightcap, the hosts scored four times in the first inning to take a lead they would never relinquish. A two-run third inning and a fourth inning marker pushed the lead to 7-0.
Matt Torresan was 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead Cleary, while Cambron was also 2-for-3 with a double and drove in a run.
Hector Montilla allowed one hit and fanned four over three scoreless frames to earn the win for Cleary.
Freshman Jacob Sealey (Stockport, OH) started and lost for Rio after being touched for seven hits and six runs over two innings.
The RedStorm managed just five singles offensively. Perkins finished 2-for-3.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Friday when it hosts Oakland City University in the opener of River States Conference weekend series.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Bob Evans Field.
