Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - As a team desperately in need of a rebound effort, the University of Rio Grande baseball team couldn't have done it any better on Saturday afternoon.
On the heels of a disappointing series-opening loss to Midway University on Friday afternoon, the RedStorm rallied late in both ends of their Senior Day doubleheader for a pair of one-run victories and a sweep of the Eagles, 3-2 and 4-3, at Bob Evans Field.
Head coach Brad Warnimont's squad, which won for the eighth and ninth time in its last 10 outings, improved to 25-17 overall and 9-12 in conference play with the wins.
The sweep also pulled Rio Grande to within one game of seventh place and two within three teams currently tied for fourth place in the RSC standings with two weekends of play left to go.
The top six teams will qualify for the upcoming conference tournament.
Midway, which currently sits in third place, finished the weekend at 24-15 overall and 13-8 in the RSC.
Rio Grande pushed across an unearned run for a 1-0 third inning lead in Saturday's opener, but the Eagles pushed across single runs in the sixth and seventh innings - the latter of which was a solo home run off the bat of Rio transfer Alex Scoular - for a 2-1 advantage of their own.
The RedStorm re-tied the game in the home seventh thanks to a squeeze bunt by sophomore pinch-hitter Carlos Mateo (Santo Domingo, D.R.) before going back in front in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a two-out RBI double by sophomore Gregory Catano (Santo Domingo, D.R.), which bounced out of the glove of Midway center fielder Max Jewusiak as he attempted to make a diving catch.
Senior Schon Pespisa (El Monte, CA) surrendered a one-out single to Jewusiak in the ninth inning, but nailed down the win moments later by inducing Scoular to bounce into a game-ending double-play.
Catano had two of Rio's four hits.
Scoular had two of the six hits accumulated by the Eagles.
Grant Stone, the second of three Midway pitchers, took the loss after allowing two hits and two runs over 1-2/3 innings.
Game two saw Midway score once in each of the first three innings for a 3-1 lead, while a two-run single by Rio junior Joel Pagan (Humacao, P.R.) tied the game in the fifth and a run-scoring double down the right field line by senior Keniel Rosado (Juncos, P.R.) in the home sixth pushed across the game-winner.
Redshirt junior Jacob Napier (Alexandria, KY) retired Eagle pinch-hitter Isaac Tencza on a flyball to right to leave runners at first and second base for the final out of the contest.
Napier earned the win in relief, tossing five shutout innings. He allowed six hits and a pair of walks while striking out four.
Pagan finished 2-for-3 in the win, while Rosado also had two hits and the junior duo of Brett Haskins (Ripley, WV) and Caleb Asjes (Overland Park, KS) both doubled.
Logan Janiszewski was 3-for-4 with a double and a run batted in for Midway, while Sodai Takanaga was 2-for-4 and Mark Harmon, Jr. had a double.
Nathan McKissick started and lost for the Eagles, allowing nine hits and four runs - three earned - in a complete game effort.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action next Friday when it opens a three-game RSC series at Kentucky Christian University - the team that the RedStorm currently trails by one game for seventh place.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m. in Grayson, Ky.
