Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Boo Sturgill's leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the University of Rio Grande a 6-5 game two win over Oakland City University and allowed the RedStorm to salvage a split of their River States Conference twin bill against the Mighty Oaks, Sunday afternoon, at Rio Softball Park.
Oakland City posted a 1-0 win in the opening game of the doubleheader, pushing across a run in the seventh inning without the aid of a base hit.
Rio Grande finished the day at 14-10 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
The Mighty Oaks moved to 8-6 overall and 2-4 in the RSC.
Sturgill, a sophomore from Wheelersburg, Ohio, hit a pitch which bounced off the top of the fence in left-center field and over for her third long ball of the season and third hit of the day. She finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
The walkoff victory also allowed Rio to survive a two-out, two-run seventh inning rally by Oakland City which led to the game going extra innings.
The Mighty Oaks grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Rio Grande scored twice in the home half of the frame on RBI hits by freshman Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH) and sophomore Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) to make it 3-2.
The same duo helped the RedStorm grab the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Perry tied the game on a run-scoring fielder's choice grounder to shortstop, while Young gave the hosts a 5-3 lead moments later with a two-run single.
That's how things stayed until the top of the seventh, when the Mighty Oaks knotted the score at 5-all on a two-out, two-run double by Megan Ghrist.
Sturgill's homer in the eighth gave Rio the walkoff win.
Like Sturgill, Perry and Young had three hits apiece in the victory, while freshman Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) finished 2-for-4.
Junior Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) earned the win in relief of junior starter Kali Brickman (Huber Heights, OH).
Campolo, who allowed the game-tying double in the seventh, struck out four over two innings, including all three batters she faced in the top of the eighth.
Brickman pitched well after the rough first inning, allowing three earned runs over 6-plus innings in the circle.
Liberty Smith went the distance in the loss for Oakland City.
Ghrist went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI for the Mighty Oaks, while McKendree Ward was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run batted in.
Abbi Jaquess had two hits in a losing cause for OCU.
Game one was a pitcher's duel between Campolo and Oakland City's Emily Fitzwater.
Fitzwater scattered four hits in a complete game shutout, although all five runners that Rio Grande stranded in the game were left in scoring position.
Campolo tossed a complete game three-hitter, but was betrayed by wildness in the seventh inning, when the Mighty Oaks scored what proved to be the game's lone run.
Ghrist led off with a walk, Alyssa Haynes was hit by a pitch and, after a sacrifice bunt, Fitzwater was walked to load the bases.
One out later, Danielle Haire drew a walk to force home pinch-runner Hallie Fleetwood with the winning run.
Rio junior Lexi Carnahan (Felicity, OH) had the game's lone extra-base hit with a double.
Rio Grande is back in action on Monday afternoon, traveling to Pippa Passes, Ky. for a doubleheader at Alice Lloyd College rescheduled from 10 days ago.
First pitch for the opening game is set for 1 p.m.
