Rio Grande Sports Information
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Twice during the regular season, the University of Rio Grande failed to post a pair of wins over rival Shawnee State University on the same day, dividing doubleheaders with the Bears both at home and on the road.
But in Saturday's best-of-three series to crown a champion in the 2024 River States Conference Softball Championship, head coach Chris Hammond's squad methodically got the job done.
The RedStorm posted a 5-1 triumph in game one and then held on late for a 7-6 game two victory to take the title at Little Creek Park.
Rio Grande, the tourney's No. 2 seed from the East Division, improved to 34-17 with the wins and punched their ticket to the upcoming NAIA National Championship Opening Round, which begins on May 13 at 10 sites across the country.
The RedStorm are back in the national tournament after having a streak of seven consecutive Opening Round appearances snapped last season.
However, the conference tournament championship is Rio's first since 2018.
Shawnee State, which won the East Division championship in its first year as a member of the RSC, slipped to 36-11 with the loss.
The Bears, who exceeded the 31-win mark for the first time since 1999, must now sit and wait to see if they'll join Rio Grande and Indiana University Southeast - the league's regular season champion - as representatives from the RSC in the national tourney as an at-large selection.
The NAIA Softball Championship Selection Show is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, at 5 p.m. EDT.
In Saturday's opening game, Rio Grande jumped to a 3-0 first inning lead and made the early advantage stand up.
Junior Peyton Young (Mt. Orab, OH) delivered the big blow in the first with a two-run double, while senior Lexi Carnahan (Felicity, OH) drove home another run on a fielder's choice.
Sierra Dunnagan got Shawnee State on the board in the third inning with an RBI, but the RedStorm got the run back in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Carnahan.
Rio set the final score with an insurance marker in the seventh thanks to a groundout by junior Boo Sturgill (Wheelersburg, OH).
Junior Madison Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) was superb in the circle once again for Rio Grande, allowing nine hits, a walk and an unearned run in a complete game effort. She struck out 10.
Cassie Berry, who had won each of her previous two outings against the RedStorm this season, suffered the loss. She allowed 10 hits and five runs - four earned - with two walks and three strikeouts.
Lauren Spears had two hits in the loss for SSU.
Sophomore Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) finished 3-for-3 to lead Rio offensively, while Carnahan and Ogden had two hits each.
Game two nearly took a turn toward one of Shawnee State's patented late-game comeback efforts.
The Bears scored once in the first and twice in the second for an early 3-0, but Rio Grande took the lead with four runs in the fourth before one fifth inning marker and two more runs in the sixth for a 7-3 advantage.
The Bears, down to their final three outs, scrambled for three seventh inning runs and had the bases loaded when the game finished.
Brittani Wolfenbarker started the late rally with a one-out infield single, stole second and moved to third on a single to left by Jenna Christopher.
Berry followed with a single to score Wolfenbarker, with Rio Grande head coach then lifting senior reliever Sydney Campolo (New Lexington, OH) in favor of Ogden.
Spears then forced Christopher out at third with a fielder's choice grounder to shortstop and all looked in control.
A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and a walk to Dunnagan loaded the bases, setting the stage for a two-run single by Hale to make it 7-6.
An error on Bianca Belo-Diaz's routine grounder to shortstop re-loaded the bases, but the rally, the game and the tournament ended when Ogden fanned Lexie Lockwood for the final out.
Christopher, Spears, Hale and Wolfenbarker all had two hits each in the loss for SSU.
Senior Caitlyn Brisker (COak Hill, OH) was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI for Rio Grande, while Ogden had two doubles and drove in a run and Adams was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Campolo picked up the win, allowing five hits and three runs - only one of which was earned - in 4-2/3 innings of relief.
The save was Ogden's third.
Amariah Hoerner went the distance in suffering the loss for the Bears.
