Rio Grande Sports Information
MIDWAY, Ky. - Emily Lane's run-scoring single capped a five-run seventh inning rally and lifted the University of Rio Grande to a 5-4 game two win over Midway University and a doubleheader sweep of the host Eagles, Friday afternoon, in River States Conference softball action at Clark Memorial Field.
The dramatic come-from-behind victory, which came on the heels of a 5-3 triumph the opening game of the twin bill, left the RedStorm at 25-12 overall and 18-6 inside the RSC.
Head coach Chris Hammond's squad extended their winning streak to five straight with the wins.
Midway dropped to 9-25 overall and 8-18 in league play as a result of the sweep. The game two loss marked the fourth time in the last week in which the Eagles lost a game after taking a lead into the seventh inning.
Rio's game-winning rally began with a pinch-hit single by junior Mady Vivace (Indianapolis, IN) and continued with singles by sophomore Delana Landefeld (Williamsport, OH) and senior Meg McCallum (Belmont, Ontario, Canada) loading the bases.
Junior Nigella Reck (Covington, OH) and senior Natalie Bates (Vandalia, OH) each followed with run-scoring singles, while a fielder's choice grounder off the bat of junior Kendyl Moss (Cincinnati, OH) and a sacrifice fly to center by freshman Adelyn Wolfe (Lancaster, OH) knotted the score at 4-all.
Moss followed with a steal of second to set the stage for the go-ahead hit by Lane, a sophomore from Charlotte, N.C.
McCallum retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame to nail down the victory, her 11th in 14 decisions this season.
Lane and Landefeld had two hits each in the winning effort.
Madison Hill went 3-for-4 in the loss for Midway, while Randi Delong and Payton Druen each had two hits and a run batted in.
Jayden Timmermans also had two hits, including a double, in the loss.
Abigail Beller, who came on in relief of starting pitcher Breanna Beach at the start of the seventh inning, took the loss after allowing five hits and five runs while not recording an out.
In the opening game, Rio Grande got an RBI single in the first inning by freshman Macy Kise (Milford Center, OH) and a run-scoring hit by Lane in the third and took a 2-1 lead into the fifth.
The RedStorm then pulled away with three runs in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly by Moss and a two-run home run by Lane, the first of her collegiate career.
Midway scored single markers in both the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Landefeld went 3-for-4 in the winning effort, while Lane finished 2-for-3.
Kise earned her 10th win in 16 decisions, allowing 11 hits and three runs - two earned - over 6-1/3 innings. Freshman Meredith Pieratt (Eaton, OH) got the final two outs for her first save.
Alli Jones started and lost for the Eagles, allowing six hits and five runs over five innings.
Delong finished 3-for-4 for Midway, while Payton Baum was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Hill and Ella Baum both had doubles in the loss.
Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday when it faces league-leading Oakland City University in another doubleheader.
First pitch is set for 1 p.m. EDT.
