Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Turns out that the 2025 River States Conference softball opener between the University of Rio Grande and rival Shawnee State University lacked the drama that the two programs produced when they met for the RSC Tournament title a little less than a year ago.
The RedStorm, who swept the Bears in the championship series of the conference tourney last May, did the same in the first league outings of the new season for both teams, rolling to an 11-1 win in five innings and a 9-1 triumph in six innings, Saturday afternoon, at sunny - but chilly - Rio Softball Park.
Rio Grande improved to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in the RSC with the sweep.
Shawnee State, which is under the direction of former Rio head coach Kristen Bradshaw, slipped to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in league play.
Rio Grande wasted little time in the opener, sending 15 batters to the plate in a nine-run first inning uprising and adding two more markers in the second.
Senior Madi Ogden (Williamsburg, OH), sophomore Nigella Reck (Covington, OH) and junior Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) all had two-run hits in the nine-run first, while freshman Lindzie Runions (Poca, WV), freshman Delana Landefeld (Williamsport, OH) and junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) all added run-scoring singles of their own.
Sedgwick tacked on an RBI groundout and Landefeld had a steal of home in the second.
Meanwhile, Ogden stymied the Bears in the pitcher's circle, allowing just three hits and an unearned run over five innings. She also fanned five batters.
Sedgwick, Ogden, Reck and Landefeld all had two hits in the winning effort. Ogden's hit total included a double.
Genavie Espinoza had one of the three Shawnee State hits and drove in her team's lone run.
Camryn Davidson started and took the loss for the Bears, allowing six hits and eight runs - seven earned - over just one-third of an inning.
Game two saw the host RedStorm lead just 2-1 after three innings before scoring twice in the fourth, three times in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to invoke the eight-run mercy rule.
Sophomore Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH) went 3-for-3 with a double and a run batted in for Rio Grande, while junior Emma Elkins (Logan, WV) also had three hits and drove in a pair of runs and Adams finished 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Sedgwick added a double and three runs batted in to the winning effort, while the trio of senior Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH), sophomore Sammi Speakman (Jefferson, OH) and junior Meg McCallum (Belmont, Ontario, Canada) teamed on a six-hit effort in the circle.
Speakman got the win, allowing a hit and a walk over two scoreless frames.
Emma Wargel started and lost for Shawnee State, surrendering nine hits and seven runs - three earned - over 4-2/3 innings.
Bianca Belo-Diaz finished 2-for-2 with a double and a run batted in for the Bears, while Sierra Dunnagan and Mackenzie Hale also doubled in the losing effort.
Rio Grande is scheduled to return to action on Friday when it opens a weekend road swing at Midway University. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m.
