Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Megan Bazler's two-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning capped a dramatic extra inning rally and lifted the University of Rio Grande to a 4-3 game two win and a doubleheader sweep of Indiana University Southeast, Sunday afternoon, in River States Conference softball play at Rio Softball Park.
The RedStorm, who posted a 2-1 triumph in the opener, improved to 30-8 overall and 18-4 in the RSC with the sweep.
The Grenadiers finished the day at 20-14 overall and 16-10 in conference play.
The late-game heroics in the nightcap by Bazler - a senior from Portsmouth, Ohio - became necessary after Rio Grande coughed up a 2-0 lead just two outs shy of a win thanks to a seventh inning game-tying triple by IU Southeast's Brynlea Bennett.
The Grenadiers then moved in front in the top of the ninth when Bennett tripled with one out and scored on a single by Lillian Mackey.
The RedStorm's game-winning rally in the home half of the ninth began with a one-out single by junior Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) and a subsequent walk to sophomore Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH).
Senior Madi Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) followed with a popout to second base, but junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) kept the rally going with a single to left which plated freshman pinch-runner Delana Wright (Middleport, OH) with the tying run.
Bazler followed Adams to the plate and pulled a 1-0 pitch just inside the third base bag and down the left field line, allowing Engler to race home with the winning run.
Engler finished 2-for-2 with a double, three walks and two runs batted in, while freshman Lindzie Runions (Poca, WV) added a double of her own.
Sophomore Sammi Speakman (Jefferson, OH), who came on in the top of the ninth to strikeout consecutive batters after the Grenadiers had taken the lead, picked up her fifth win in as many decisions for Rio.
Emma Davis went the distance in suffering the loss for IU Southeast.
Bennett was 2-for-5 with the two triples for the Grenadiers, while Sofia Guy and McKenzie Walters also had two hits apiece.
Game one proved to be a pitcher's duel between Ogden and Southeast's Hannah Nunemaker.
Rio Grande pushed across single runs in the second inning on an RBI double by freshman Madison Brentlinger (Indian Lake, OH) and in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Brentlinger for a 2-0 lead.
The Grenadiers tried to make things interesting in the seventh when Kaitlyn Leister led off with a double, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a two-out single by Savannah Gaither to cut the deficit in half, but Ogden struck out Nunemaker the snuff out the rally and end the game.
Ogden (14-5) allowed just five hits and walked one while fanning seven in a complete game effort.
Nunemaker allowed six hits and walked two with six strikeouts in her own route-going performance.
Adams finished with two hits in the winning effort.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Tuesday when it hosts West Virginia University Tech for another RSC twin bill.
First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
