Rio tops Taylor, falls to Titans in extras

Rio Grande Sports Information
     WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. - Gabby Adams tripled, doubled and drove in two runs in her collegiate debut, lifting the University of Rio Grande to a season-opening 6-2 win over Taylor (Ind.) University, Saturday afternoon, as part of the Bear Creek Classic hosted by the University of the Cumberlands at the UC Softball Complex.
     The RedStorm finished the day at 1-1 after coughing up an early 6-0 lead and falling 12-10 in eight innings to Indiana University South Bend.
     In the opener against Taylor (6-2), Rio grabbed a 1-0 first inning lead on an RBI single by junior Caitlyn Brisker (Oak Hill, OH) before blowing things open with a four-run third inning uprising.
     Adams - a freshman from Grove City, Ohio - had the big blow in the frame with a two-run triple, while sophomore Peyton Young (Mount Orab, OH) also added a run-scoring single.
     The Trojans got two runs back in the home half of the fourth thanks to a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly, but the RedStorm pushed across an unearned marker in the sixth to set the final score.
     Rio Grande also got two hits apiece from Brisker and sophomore Alexandria "Boo" Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH). Sturgill's hit total included a double, while freshman Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) also had a double.
     Junior Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) went the distance in the pitcher's circle to get the win, scattering nine hits and four walks while striking out three.
     Katie Kottlowksi started and lost for Taylor, allowing six hits and five runs over 2-2/3 innings.
     Emma West finished 3-for-4 and Caitlyn Grim was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Trojans.
     Things looked good in the nightcap as well for RedStorm, who followed up a four-run first inning with single runs in the second and third for a 6-0 lead over IUSB.
     But the Titans exploded for eight runs - all with two outs - in the fourth inning and added another marker in the fifth to take a 9-6 lead.
     Rio tied the game with three runs of its own in the home fifth, but South Bend scored three times in the top of the eighth and then held on in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.
     Freshman Lexi Thompson (Shelby, OH) finished 4-for-5 in the loss for the RedStorm, while Brisker had two hits and two RBI and freshman Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH) finished 2-for-5 with a run batted in.
     Young also drove in two runs in a losing cause, while Sedgwick added another double.
     Sophomore Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH) started and took the loss for the RedStorm, allowing eight hits and as many runs over 3-2/3 innings.
     Abigail Yarnell earned the win in relief for IUSB, allowing three hits and an unearned run over 3-1/3 innings.
     Jozie Ramer finished 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Titans, while Haley Fair was 2-for-4 with three RBI and Kaitlynne Allen had two hits and drove in two runs of her own.
     Maddie Leisher and Jordan Watts also added two hits and an RBI each to the winning effort.
     Leisher, Allen, Ramer and Fair all had a double.
     Rio wraps up the weekend against Cleary (Mich.) University on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. before facing the event host Patriots at 2 p.m.