Eagles strike early, late to drop RedStorm

Rio Grande Sports Information
     MARION, Ind. - What started well for Reinhardt (Ga.) University only got better at the end.
     The Eagles parlayed a pair of Rio Grande errors into a first inning lead and then played add-on over the final two frames for a 7-1 win over the RedStorm, Tuesday afternoon, in the Marion Bracket of the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round at Sue Bowman Field.
     Reinhardt (31-10), the No. 5 seed in the five-team bracket, collected its third upset win in two days and punched its ticket to Thursday's championship round in the process.
     The Eagles need just one win to advance to the NAIA Softball World Series, which begins May 22 in Columbus, Ga.
     Rio Grande, the bracket's No. 3 seed, had a 12-game winning streak snapped and slipped to 45-10 with the loss.
     The RedStorm will face either top-seeded Madonna (Mich.) University or second-seeded Indiana Wesleyan University in an elimination game on Wednesday, at 12:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to face Reinhardt in the finals.
     The Madonna-IWU elimination game, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening before being postponed by rain, kicks off Wednesday's schedule at 10 a.m.
     Reinhardt jumped to a 2-0 first inning lead when Taylor Wade reached second base on a wild pitch and a throwing error while striking out and Maddie Wright followed with a run-scoring double to left-center.
     Wright scored on the same play on an errant throw from the outfield.
     Rio Grande cut the deficit in half in the home fourth when senior Madi Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) led off with a triple to right field and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH).
     The RedStorm failed to take advantage of an opportunity to tie the game in the fifth when freshman Madison Brentlinger (Indian Lake, OH) led off with a single, but never moved from that point after Reinhardt reliever Anslie Pettit - a transfer from NCAA Division I Georgia Southern University - routinely retired each of the next three batters.
     The Eagles seized upon Rio's missed chance by adding three two-out runs in the sixth inning and tacking on a pair of insurance markers in the seventh.
     Kyra Lightner had a two-run triple in the sixth and Molly Stevens followed with an RBI single, while Mallory Lumpkins had an RBI triple and Wright a run-scoring infield single in the seventh.
     Reinhardt starter Taylor Haymans and Pettit limited Rio Grande to just two hits. Pettit allowed one of the two hits over four scorless innings and fanned four to pick up the win in relief.
     Ogden started and took the loss for the RedStorm, allowing six hits and five runs - three earned - over 5-2/3 innings.
     Wright and Stevens both had two hits in the win for the Eagles. Stevens' hit total also included a double and Shallyn Olszowy had a double of her own in the winning effort.