No. 8 Rio outlasts No. 6 Barons

Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The wins achieved by the University of Rio Grande men's rugby team in each of their first two home contests came with relative ease.
Saturday afternoon's final regular season home match against sixth-ranked Franciscan University at Red Valley pitch proved to be anything but.
The RedStorm ventured into the final minute of play before securing a 24-10 triumph over the Barons in a physical Allegheny Rugby Union affair.
Rio Grande, which was ranked No. 8 in the National Collegiate Rugby Small Schools Division, improved to 5-0 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
Franciscan dropped to 2-2 overall and 2-2 in the ARU as a result of the loss.

The Barons grabbed a 3-0 lead with just over 28 minutes left in the first half on a kick by Craig Shepardson, but Rio countered with a successful try on its ensuing possession by freshman Ben Kelly (Basinstoke, England) with 25:20 remaining in the period and subsequent convert by senior Caden Harden (Oak Hill, OH) to make it 7-3.
The RedStorm never trailed again.
A successful try by freshman Dean Brits (Still Bay, South Africa) with 18:12 left before the break extended the Rio advantage to 12-3 at the intermission and another score by Brits - just 1:15 into the second half - gave the RedStorm a 17-3 cushion.
Franciscan got on the board again with just over 35 minutes remaining when John Thibault recorded a successful try and Mark Houle added the convert to slice the deficit to 17-10 - a one-possession game - and that's how things stayed until late.
Rio freshman Solomone Ahoia (Lawndale, CA) settled the issue once and for all, though, picking up what appeared to be ticketed as a RedStorm turnover inside the Franciscan 5-yard line and scored a successful try with 59 seconds left to play. Kelly set the final score with a convert as time expired.
Rio Grande will enjoy an off week before wrapping up regular season play at Kenyon College on Oct. 30.