Trojans hang on late, deal RedStorm second straight loss

Rio Grande Sports Information
     WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. - Taylor (Ind.) University jumped out to a pair of early six-run leads, but had to hold on down the stretch to post a 9-8 win over the University of Rio Grande, Saturday morning, in the Ice-Burg Invitational hosted by the University of the Cumberlands at the UC Softball Complex.
     The RedStorm slipped to 6-2 with a second straight loss.
     The Trojans pushed their season record to 2-4 with the win.
     Rio Grande took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a sacrifice fly by sophomore Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) and a run-scoring double by junior Madison Ogden (Williamsburg, OH), but Taylor answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, five more runs in the second and, after the RedStorm got a run back in the third, the Trojans got the run right back for a 9-3 cushion heading to the fourth inning.
     Kaylee Larkin and Jersey Tannehill had RBI singles and Delaynee McCreary had a sacrifice fly in the first, while an RBI triple by Emri Agre and a two-run double by Larkin highlighted the five-run second.
     Larkin added a solo homer in the third inning.
     Rio Grande started the road back in the fifth inning with run-scoring singles by Adams and sophomore Madison Perry (Portsmouth, OH), while Adams added a home run in the seventh inning to make it 9-6.
     The RedStorm added two more runs in the seventh to make it 9-8 and had the bases loaded with one out, but Taylor's Mackenzie Noah - the last of three Trojan hurlers - nailed down the win with a strikeout looking of freshman Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH) and by inducing junior Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) to line out to shortstop.
     Larkin finished 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles and four RBI for Taylor, while Tannehill was 2-for-2 with an RBI and Madisyn Standridge went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
     Katie Kottlowski started and got the win for the Trojans, allowing five hits and three runs over four innings. Noah earned a save by recording the final two outs.
     Senior Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) started and took the loss for Rio Grande, allowing nine hits and eight runs - six earned - over 1-2/3 innings.
     Ogden went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI for the RedStorm, while Adams was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Sophomore Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) had a double and drove in a run in the loss.
     Rio Grande wraps up play in the three-day event on Sunday when it faces the University of Northwestern Ohio and host University of the Cumberlands at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.