Rio Grande Sports Information
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The University of Rio Grande snapped a three-game losing streak, parlaying strong pitching performances in both games for a doubleheader sweep of Defiance College, Friday afternoon, in non-conference softball action at Little Creek Park.
The RedStorm posted an 8-0 mercy rule-shortened win over the Yellowjackets in the opener before winning the back end of the twin bill, 4-1.
Rio Grande, which was playing its pseudo home opener, improved to 6-3 with the victories and rebounded from a trio of shutout losses in Georgia nearly two weeks ago.
Defiance dropped to 0-4 with the two losses.
In the opening game, senior Madi Ogden (Williamsburg, OH) and freshman Abbi Hollanbaugh (Bidwell, OH) combined on a one-hit shutout.
Ogden started and got the win, allowing four walks and striking out five over three innings, while Hollanbaugh tossed two innings and allowed the lone hit and a walk with two strikeouts.
The lone Defiance hit was a one-out infield single by Anika Craft in the fifth inning.
Rio Grande built its big lead offensively by sandwiching a two-run second inning around three-run frames in the first and third.
Junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) had a sacrifice fly in the first inning before Ogden added a run-scoring single and senior Megan Bazler (Portsmouth, OH) contributed an RBI double to make it 3-0.
In the second, an RBI groundout by junior Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) and a run-scoring fielder's choice grounder off the bat of Adams pushed the lead to 5-0.
Sophomore Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH) had the big blow in the three-run third with a two-run single.
Engler and Bazler both finished with two hits each in the victory.
Madelynn Vickers started and lost for Defiance, allowing four hits and seven runs - three earned - over 2-1/3 innings. She also walked five batters.
Game two saw junior Meg McCallum (Belmont, Ontario, Canada)toss a complete game three-hitter, in which she allowed a first inning unearned run and struck out seven.
Sydney Fackler started and lost for the Yellowjackets, surrendering nine hits and four runs - three earned - over five innings.
After spotting Defiance its first run marker, Rio Grande scored twice in the home half of the inning on a bases-loaded infield single by Ogden and a run-scoring groundout by junior Emma Elkins (Logan, WV).
Sedgwick added a sacrifice fly in the second inning and the RedStorm's final run crossed in the fourth thanks to an error.
Engler led Rio's 10-hit attack by going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Ogden and freshman Delana Landefeld (Williamsport, OH) had two hits each.
Craft had two of the Yellowjackets' three hits and Morgan Scott drove in her team's lone run.
Rio Grande will continue a busy weekend of action on Saturday with a doubleheader to open a three-game series with No. 3-ranked University of the Cumberlands.
First pitch is set for noon in Williamsburg, Ky.
