RedStorm tops Indiana Wesleyan in NAIA opener

Rio Grande Sports Information
     MARION, Ind. - Nigella Reck hit a two-run double and Madi Ogden delivered a grind-it-out performance in the pitcher's circle as the University of Rio Grande upended Indiana Wesleyan University, 4-2, in the Marion Bracket of the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, Monday afternoon, at Sue Bowman Field.
     The RedStorm, who are ranked No. 25 nationally and seeded third in the five-team, double-elimination bracket, pushed its record to 45-9 with the victory and advanced to take on No. 5 seed Reinhardt (Ga.) University in Tuesday's winner's bracket final at 2 p.m.
     The Eagles earned their spot in Tuesday's matchup by surprising fourth-seeded College of Coastal Georgia, 2-1, and upsetting top-seeded Madonna (Mich.) University, 4-2, in Monday's other contest.
     Indiana Wesleyan, which was ranked No. 12 in the final coaches' Top 25 poll, dropped to 43-10 with the loss and will meet Coastal Georgia in an elimination contest on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
     The IWU-CCG survivor will battle the Rio-Reinhardt loser in another elimination game on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
     The Rio-Reinhardt winner will advance to the bracket title game on Wednesday and would have to be beaten twice.
     Reck, a sophomore from Covington, Ohio and the River States Conference's Newcomer of the Year, broke up a scoreless deadlock in the fourth inning with a double that scored Ogden and junior Gabby Adams (Grove City, OH).
     Reck scored later in the inning on a two-out single by freshman Lindzie Runions (Poca, WV) to make it 3-0.
     The host Wildcats got two of the runs back in the bottom of the frame when Whitney Waddell plated Malayni Clemens with a double and then raced home herself on the same play thanks to a throwing error.
     The two runs snapped Ogden's streak of eight consecutive starts with a shutout.
     The Williamsburg, Ohio senior worked out of bases-loaded jams in each of the first two innings and wiggled off the hook again in the fifth inning by leaving the bases loaded for a third time.
     Indiana Wesleyan stranded a total of 11 runners in the game, six of which were in scoring position.
     Ogden, the RSC Pitcher and Player of the Year, retired eight of the final nine batters she faced. She allowed seven hits and two runs - one earned - while walking a career-high five and striking out nine.
     Sophomore Maddie Engler (Crestline, OH) added an insurance marker for the RedStorm with a seventh inning sacrifice fly to set the final score.
     Waddell, Courtney Thomas and Maddie Martin all had two hits in the loss for the Wildcats.
     Jordyn Ball was the hard-luck loser for IWU, suffering just her fourth loss in 27 decisions. She allowed five hits and four runs - three earned - with two walks and four strikeouts.