Rio Grande Sports Information
MILLIGAN, Tenn. - A long weekend for the University of Rio Grande baseball team only got longer on Saturday as the RedStorm dropped two more outings of the final day of the Clash of the Conferences at Milligan University's Anglin Field.
Head coach Brad Warnimont's squad fell to Madonna (Mich.) University, 7-4, while also dropping a 9-1 decision to the host Buffaloes.
Rio Grande fell to 2-7 overall as its losing slide reached seven consecutive games.
The RedStorm took a 2-1 into the home half of the third against Madonna, but the Crusaders scored four times in the home third and added two more runs in the fourth to take control.
Tyler Stepek went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles for MU, while Kooper Etheridge doubled twice and knocked in a pair of runs and Kyler Revere doubled and drove in two.
Justin Starkey added two hits in the winning effort and Jason Serafinchon drove in a pair of runs.
Alex Duley earned the win on the mound, allowing eight hits and four runs over 5-1/3 innings.
Senior Justin Anaya (Brownsville, TX) started and lost for Rio Grande, facing just four batters and allowing a hit and three walks.
Senor Beiker Fuentes (Crystal Lake, IL) had three hits, including a double and a triple, while freshman Gregory Catano (Santo Domingo, D.R.) had two hits and a drove in a run and junior Josiah Devapalan (Brampton, Ontario, Canada) had a double.
The nightcap saw Milligan jump to a 6-0 lead after two innings and never look back.
Gaven Jones homered, tripled and drove in four runs for the Buffaloes, while Angel Lobo went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Andrew Beavers added two hits, including a double, for the hosts, while Bryce Safferwich tripled and drove in a run.
Spencer Rife started and got the win for Milligan, allowing four hits and a run over five innings.
Freshman Connor Gullett (Cincinnati, OH) started and lost for Rio after getting touched up for six hits and six runs over two innings.
Junior Keniel Rosado (Juncos, P.R.) knocked in a run for the RedStorm.
Weather permitting, Rio Grande is set to open its home portion of the schedule on Friday afternoon with a non-conference doubleheader against Cleary (Mich.) University at Bob Evans Field.
