Rio Grande Sports Information
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Madi Ogden was masterful in the pitcher's circle once again en route to a game one victory, while the University of Rio Grande made a five-run first inning lead stand up for a game two win and a doubleheader sweep of Brescia University, Friday afternoon, in River States Conference softball play at Rio Softball Park.
The RedStorm improved to 17-5 overall and 9-1 in the RSC after posting a mercy rule-shortened 8-0 triumph in the opener and a 9-5 win the nightcap.
Brescia finished the day at 5-11 overall and 4-6 against league foes.
Ogden, who was coming off a shutout of West Virginia University Tech on Tuesday in which she struck out 15 and came within three outs of a perfect game, was equally as hard on the Bearcats.
The Williamsburg, Ohio senior surrendered a leadoff single to Savannah Jones in the second inning, but did not allow another baserunner in the contest and finished with 13 strikeouts.
For the season, Ogden is now 5-0 with a save and a 0.44 earned run average in conference play. In 31-2/3 innings, she's allowed just 13 hits and five walks while striking out 53.
Rio Grande what proved to be the only runs it would need in the first inning on an RBI double by Ogden and a run-scoring single by freshman Madison Brentlinger (Indian Lake, OH).
Senior Megan Bazler (Portsmouth, OH) had an RBI double in the third and drove in another run in the fifth, while sophomore Nigella Reck (Covington, OH) and freshman Lindzie Runions (Poca, WV) each had two-run singles in the fifth to help envoke the 8-run mercy rule.
Odgen, junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH) and Reck all had two hits in the winning effort.
Felicity Cunningham started and lost for Brescia, allowing 12 hits and the eight runs over four-plus innings.
Game two saw Rio Grande explode for five first inning runs, with Adams and Reck sandwiching run-scoring hits around a two-run single by Brentlinger.
Reck added another RBI with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, while Bazler had a run-scoring single in the fourth and another run scored in the fifth as junior Kayla Sedgwick (Richwood, OH) reached on an error to make it 8-2.
The Bearcats tried to make things interesting by scoring three times in the sixth inning, but the RedStorm got another sacrifice fly by Reck in the sixth to set the final score.
Adams finished 3-for-4 with a pair of triples and Bazler was 3-for-3 with a double in the win, while Reck had two hits and the three RBI and junior Emma Elkins (Logan, WV) and Sedgwick were both 2-for-4.
Emma Kate Elrod was 3-for-3 with a double in the loss for Brescia.
Senior Hannah Beers (Springfield, OH) started and got the win for Rio, despite struggling late. She allowed five hits and five runs - four earned - over 5-1/3 innings.
Jones started and lost for the Bearcats, surrendering eight hits and six runs - five earned - over 1-1/3 innings.
Rio Grande returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Oakland City for another RSC twin bill beginning at 1 p.m.
