Rio Grande Sports Information
KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Never in Chris Hammond's tenure as the head softball coach at the University of Rio Grande had the RedStorm been swept in a regular season conference doubleheader.
Never until Monday afternoon, that is.
Point Park University's Melanie Taylor clubbed a three-run home run to highlight a go-ahead, five-run sixth-inning rally in game one before delivering a game-winning three-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two in River States Conference action at Fairhaven Park.
The Pioneers collected their wins by scores of 9-4 and 9-8, improving to 10-8 overall and 7-3 in league play in the process.
Rio Grande slipped to 18-12 overall and 8-4 in the RSC with the two losses.
Prior to Monday, the last time Rio was swept in a regular season conference twin bill was on April 18, 2015 when Indiana University Southeast took a pair of contests from the RedStorm for a second consecutive day. At the time, the RSC was known as the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC).
After coughing up an early 2-0 lead in game one, Rio rallied with a pair of fifth inning markers to forge a 4-4 deadlock.
That's how things stood when Point Park came to bat in the home half of the sixth inning.
Bella Magliocco reached on an error to begin the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and a double by Remi Koi. Taylor then homered to left to snap the tie.
After a single by Cameron Meier and another error with two outs extended the inning, Alex Bondi and Sydnie Reese had run-scoring singles to extend the lead to 9-4.
Rio Grande got back-to-back hits from freshmen Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) and Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH) to begin the seventh inning, but any hopes of a dramatic rally died when sophomore Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) bounced into a double-play and junior Lexi Carnahan (Felicity, OH) grounded out to end the game.
Perry had three hits and drove in a run to lead the RedStorm at the plate, while Adams finished 2-for-3.
Junior Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) started and took the loss, allowing 10 hits, three walks and eight runs - six earned - over 5-1/3 innings.
Angalee Beall went the distance to get the win for PPU.
Taylor, who also doubled, finished 4-for-4 with five RBI for the Pioneers, while Koi was 3-for-3 with two RBI and Bondi had a pair of hits.
In the nightcap, Rio Grande built a 5-0 lead after three innings but couldn't close the deal.
Point Park scored twice in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to tie the score at 6-all, but the RedStorm pushed across a pair of markers in the top of the seventh to regain the lead and put themselves in a position to salvage a sweep.
The Pioneers had other thoughts, though.
Jada Simon and Reese had back-to-back singles and Cristina Sargent walked to load the bases before a flyout and a forceout at home on a fielder's choice grounder to third put Rio within an out of a win.
Taylor followed with a low line drive to left field which, despite a diving attempt to catch the ball by freshman Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH), went all the way to the fence allowing all three runners to score and giving the hosts the win.
Taylor finished 4-for-5 with three doubles and three RBI, while Reese was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI and Simon was 2-for-4 with a double and a run batted in.
Meier also doubled and drove in three runs in the winning effort.
Beall picked up the win in the circle, tossing one scoreless inning in relief of Simon.
Sophomore Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH), the last of three Rio pitchers, took the loss. She allowed five hits, two walks and five runs over two innings.
Adams and junior Caitlyn Brisker (Oak Hill, OH) both went 3-for-4 with a double in the loss, while sophomore Boo Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH) doubled and drove in three runs and Carnahan had two RBI.
Rio Grande is scheduled to continue its week-long, 10-game conference road swing on Tuesday with a doubleheader against West Virginia University-Tech.
First pitch for game one is scheduled for noon at Little Creek Park in South Charleston, W.Va.
