Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande's second go-around with Point Park University provided some drastically different results.
Nearly two weeks to the day after dropping both ends of a doubleheader to the Pioneers in Pittsburgh, the RedStorm turned the tables with a pair of late rallies to post a sweep of their River States Conference East Division rival, Saturday afternoon, in twin bill action at Rio Softball Park.
Rio scored a pair of two-out sixth inning runs for a 2-1 victory in game one, while pushing across four markers in the bottom of the fifth inning to erase an early deficit and notch a 5-1 triumph in the nightcap.
The RedStorm improved to 26-14 overall and 16-6 in league play, extending their winning streak to seven straight in the process.
The sweep also helped ease the disappointment of the two losses at the hands of Point Park on April 3 - Rio's first regular season doubleheader loss in conference play since 2015.
The Pioneers dropped to 13-15 overall and 10-10 in the RSC as a result of the losses.
In game one, all of the scoring came in the sixth inning.
Melanie Taylor, who was a one-woman wrecking crew in Point Park's earlier sweep of the RedStorm, snapped a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the top half of the frame to give the Pioneers a 1-0 edge.
Rio Grande rallied, though, in the bottom half of the inning - all after the first two batters had been retired.
Freshman Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH) and sophomore Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) had back-to-back hits before junior Lexi Carnahan (Felicity, OH) brought home the tying run with a single of her own.
Junior Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH), who was running for Young, scored the go-ahead marker moments later on a single to center by freshman Lexi Thompson (Shelby, OH).
Campolo, the RedStorm's starting pitcher, squashed any ideas that the Pioneers had of mounting a comeback by routinely retiring the side in order in the seventh inning.
Campolo allowed six hits and struck out four in a complete game effort, improving to 13-8 with the win.
Young and Thompson both finished 2-for-3 at the plate.
Angalee Beall started and suffered the hard-luck loss for Point Park, allowing eight hits and striking out two in a route-going performance.
Taylor finished 2-for-3 in the loss.
In the nightcap, the visitors grabbed a 1-0 first inning lead on a leadoff single by Taylor, a sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring hit by Beall, but Rio Grande tied things up in the home fourth on a sacrifice fly by freshman Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH).
The RedStorm then grabbed control of the game with a barrage of extra-base hits in the bottom of the fifth.
Thompson led off with a single, moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by senior Christen Risner (Wheelersburg, OH) and scored the go-ahead run on a double by sophomore Boo Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH). Freshman Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) then doubled home Sturgill before junior Caitlyn Brisker (Oak Hill, OH) tripled home Sedgwick to make it 4-1.
After a pitching change and a lineout by Adams, Perry singled to center to score Brisker.
Point Park put its first two batters on in the sixth inning and then managed a pair of baserunners in the seventh, but failed to score in either scenario.
Junior starter Kali Brickman (Huber Heights, OH), who dropped her first four decisions of the season, won for a ninth consecutive time by scattering five hits in a complete game effort. The right-hander walked one and fanned one.
Jada Simon started and lost for PPU, allowing eight hits and the five runs over 4-1/3 innings.
Brisker and Sedgwick both went 2-for-3 with a run batted in for Rio. Brisker's other hit was also a triple.
Young also was 2-for-3 in the victory.
Alex Bondi was 2-for-3 in a losing cause for the Pioneers.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday afternoon with its final non-conference contests of the season - a doubleheader at Thomas More University.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Crestview Hills, Ky.
