Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Maddie Engler and Gabby Adams drove in three runs each, Rylie Hughes and Lexi Carnahan finished with two RBI each and Kali Brickman tossed four innings of one-hit, shutout relief to lead the University of Rio Grande in a 12-6 game two win over Shawnee State University, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference softball action at frigid Rio Softball Park.
The victory came on the heels of 5-1 loss to the Bears in the front end of the twin bill.
Rio Grande finished the day at 16-8 overall and 8-4 inside the RSC.
Shawnee State, which is coached by former Rio head coach Kristen Bradshaw, moved to 17-3 overall and 9-3 in league play with the split.
The Bears took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the second inning before the RedStorm scored five times to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Shawnee State did score a single run in the third to close the gap to 7-6 and Rio maintained the narrow cushion before pulling away late with four runs in the fifth and single marker in the sixth.
Engler, a freshman from Crestline, Ohio, finished 2-for-5 with a double and drove in runs in the first, second and sixth innings.
Adams, a sophomore from Grove City, Ohio, also drove in a first inning before delivering a two-run double in the five-run second.
Hughes, a redshirt sophomore from Wheelersburg, Ohio finished 2-for-4 and had a two-run single in the fifth inning, while Carnahan - a senior from Felicity, Ohio - had three hits, including a double, and a two-run single in the fifth.
Brickman, a senior from Huber Heights, Ohio, shut down the Shawnee State offense over the final four innings in relief of junior starter Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH). The Bears managed just two baserunners against Brickman over the span.
Junior Megan Bazler (Portsmouth, OH) added three hits, incuding a double, and a run batted in for Rio Grande, while senior Caitlyn Brisker (Oak Hill, OH) was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run batted in.
Juniors Madison Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) and Boo Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH) both added two hits each to the winning effort.
Amariah Hoerner started and lost for Shawnee State, allowing six hits, a walk and seven runs over just 1-2/3 innings.
Lauren Spears led the Bears offensively, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, while Cassie Berry and Brittani Wolfenbarker both had two hits, including a double, and a run batted in.
Mackenzie Hale also had two RBI for SSU.
Rio Grande essentially gifted the rival Bears a win in game one, with a trio of errors and passed ball leading to three of the five Shawnee runs being unearned.
The game was scoreless into the fourth inning before the Bears grabbed a 1-0 on a run-scoring groundout by Bianca Belo-Diaz, but Rio pushed across the tying run in the bottom of the inning on a two-out-double by Sturgill.
Shawnee State took the lead for good in the fifth thanks to an RBI double by Jenna Christopher and an error which made it 3-1.
A passed ball allowed a sixth inning run to score and an RBI single by Spears in the seventh closed the scoring.
Christopher and Hale had two hits each, including a double, for Shawnee State.
Berry got her sixth win in seven decisions for the Bears, allowing four hits and a run in a complete game effort. She walked four and struck out four.
Ogden took the loss for the RedStorm, allowing five hits and five runs - two earned - in a complete game effort. She walked two and fanned seven.
Adams and Sturgill doubled in the loss for Rio.
Rio Grande returns to action on Friday when it hosts RSC West Division lead Indiana University Southeast for a doubleheader.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
