Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande parlayed the momentum of a win over Oakland City University in Monday's series finale by sweeping a non-conference doubleheader from Cleary (Mich.) University on Tuesday afternoon at Bob Evans Field.
The RedStorm, who divided a twin bill in Michigan against the Cougars last week, posted wins by scores of 7-3 and 6-1 to pushing their overall season record to 19-16.
Cleary, a member of the NAIA Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, slipped to 17-13 with the two losses.
Game one saw the Cougars tie the score at 3-all by scoring twice in the top of the fifth, but Rio Grande responded with three runs in the home half of the frame - including two on a home run by senior Josiah Devapalan (Brampton, Ontario, Canada).
Freshman Jacob Kaiser (St. Marys, OH) finished 2-for-4 with a run batted in, while junior Caleb Asjes (Overland Park, KS), sophomore Gregory Catano (Santo Domingo, D.R.) and sophomore Gehrig Cordial (South Charleston, OH) also drove in one run each.
Redshirt junior Max Garrelts (Overland Park, KS), who came on to get the final out in Cleary's fifth inning rally, earned the win in his first decision of the year.
Junior Dalton Vance (Taylor, MI) pitched two shutout innings for his third save.
Nolan Green, the second of three hurlers for the Cougars, took the loss. He allowed four hits and five runs - four earned - over two innings.
Landon Kempainen had two hits and drove in two runs for Cleary, while Braylon Hughes was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Brice Wesley had a double.
In the nightcap, freshman Jacob Sealey (Stockport, OH) came within one out of a complete game win on the mound. He scattered seven hits and allowed one run over 6-2/3 innings while walking two and striking out five.
A two-run single by Devapalan gave Rio a 2-0 first inning lead, but it was a four-run sixth which put the win on ice. Cordial had the big hit in the frame with a two-run single.
Sophomore Carlos Mateo (Santo Domingo, D.R.) and Devapalan had two hits each in the victory.
Cleary starter Parker Davis took the loss, allowing four hits and two runs in two innings.
Joey Parinello doubled and Jake VanderHaar drove in the Cleary run.
Rio Grande will return to action on Friday when it travels to Beckley, W.Va. to face West Virginia University-Tech.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Epling Field.
