Rio Grande Sports Information
OAKLAND CITY, Ind. - Madison Shipley clubbed a walk-off grand slam to cap a five-run seventh inning rally and lift Oakland City University to a stunning 8-4 game two win and a doubleheader sweep of the University of Rio Grande, Sunday afternoon, in River States Conference softball action at East Gibson Girls' Softball League Field.
The Mighty Oaks also rallied for a pair of sixth inning runs to post a 2-1 victory in the opening contest.
Oakland City finished the day at 9-7 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Rio Grande saw its losing streak reach three straight, slipping to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in the RSC. The last time the RedStorm dropped its first two league games of the season came in 2013 when Georgetown College swept a Mid-South Conference twin bill.
The RedStorm rallied from a 2-0 first inning deficit by scoring four times in the second - two on a single by freshman Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH) - but the Mighty Oaks started the road back by scoring once in the fifth before the game-winning rally in the seventh.
Kaylee Johnson led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single, Bailey Cox followed with a single to left and Kasey Wood walked to load the bases.
Gabbie Countryman singled home Johnson with the tying run and Shipley followed with her game-winning blast to left-center field.
Shipley also had a pair of doubles and finished 3-for-4 with six RBI in the win, while Wood was 2-for-3 with a triple and Cox had a pair of hits.
Shipley also earned the win in relief, tossing five scoreless innings. She allowed two hits and two walks, while striking out seven.
Junior Hannah Beers (Sprigfield, OH) started and took the loss, allowing nine hits and eight runs - seven earned - over six-plus innings.
Junior Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) added a double in the loss for Rio Grande.
In game one, Rio Grande totaled 10 hits but managed only one run.
The RedStorm run came in the first inning when senior Caitlyn Brisker (Oak Hill, OH) led off the game with a double and scored on a one-out throwing error.
The lead held up until the Mighty Oaks came to bat in the home half of the sixth.
Emma Williams led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Khloye Strickland. Hannah Wissell followed with a game-tying double to right-center, before a single to left by Jessi Goforth plated Wissell with the go-ahead run.
Rio Grande loaded the bases with one out in the seventh thanks to singles by Engler and junior Madison Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) and an error on a grounder to third by sophomore Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH), but Engler was forced out at home on a fielder's choice grounder by redshirt sophomore Riley Hughes (Wheelersburg, OH) and Young grounded back to the circle to end the game.
Brisker finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Young and sophomore Natalie Bates (Vandalia, OH) also had two hits each.
Ogden suffered the loss despite scattering seven hits and two walks in a complete game effort. She struck out 12.
Morgan Sonner got the win with a complete game effort for Oakland City.
Wood finished 2-for-3 with a double, while Goforth also had two hits.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Monday afternoon against Brescia University.
First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m. at Fisher Park.
