Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - The University of Rio Grande jumped to a 5-0 lead after three innings and then held on late to post a 9-6 game two win over Indiana University Southeast and salvage a split of its River States Conference doubleheader with Grenadiers, Friday afternoon, at Rio Softball Park.
IU Southeast took the opening game, 7-0, and finished the day at 18-11 overall and 12-2 in conference play.
The split left the RedStorm at 17-9 overall and 9-5 in the RSC.
Rio scored once in the first inning before adding two runs in both the second and third frames for a 5-0 lead.
Both teams scored once in the fourth, but IUS tacked on a single run in the fifth and scored twice in the sixth to get within 6-4.
The RedStorm pushed across three more runs in the home sixth to regain a five-run advantage before the Grenadiers made things interesting in the seventh.
Issy Wright drew a leadoff walk from Rio Grande senior reliever Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) before consecutive singles by Hannah Nunemaker, Brynlea Bennett and Autumn Oehlstrom made it 9-6 and brought the would-be tying run to the plate.
Campolo was then lifted in favor of junior Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH), who got Erin Templeman to hit into a fielder's choice before retiring Macie Zink on a flyball to left and inducing Kendall Brown into a game-ending foulout to the catcher.
Sophomore Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while juniors Boo Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH) and Madison Ogden (Williamsburg, OH), sophomore Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) and senior Lexi Carnahan (Felicity, OH) also finished with two hits each. Sturgill and Adams' hit totals both included a double.
Sophomore Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH) also had a two-run double in the win.
Senior Kali Brickman (Huber Heights, OH) started and got the win for Rio, allowing six hits and four runs - three earned - over 5-1/3 innings.
Beers' save was her first of the season.
Hallie Foley started and lost for IUS, allowing four hits and three runs - two earned - over 1-2/3 innings.
Oehlstrom and Templeman both had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Savannah Gaither had two RBI.
In the opening game, Rio Grande managed just two hits - only one of which left the infield - against IUS starting pitcher Madison Wathen.
Wathen walked three and fanned 10 en route to her eighth win in 10 decisions.
The Grenadiers snapped a scoreless tie by scoring once in the fourth inning on a RedStorm error. Cassi Roman added a fifth inning solo homer run before a five-run seventh inning - highlighted by a grand slam home run by Oehlstrom - blew things open.
Roman finished 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Bennett had a double.
Ogden started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing eight hits, four walks and all seven runs.
The RedStorm is scheduled to be back in action on Saturday when they host Midway University for another RSC doubleheader.
First pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.
