RedStorm Softball Earns Split with No. 8 Lindsey Wilson

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – University of Rio Grande freshman pitcher Jenna Jones limited Lindsey Wilson’s potent offense to just one run and the RedStorm rallied to post a 2-1 win over the eighth-ranked Blue Raiders, Monday afternoon, in Mid-South Conference softball action at Rio Softball Park.

Lindsey Wilson rebounded to post a 6-1 triumph in game two, snapping Rio’s seven-game win streak.

The game one victory, which marked just the second time all season that LWC had been limited to one run or less, was also the RedStorm’s first-ever win over the Blue Raiders in 13 all-time meetings.

The split left Rio Grande with a 27-14 record overall and a 19-11 mark in the MSC, while Lindsey Wilson finished the day at 38-6 overall and 24-4 in league play.

Jones, a right-hander from Lancaster, Ohio, scattered five hits – four singles and a double – in a complete game effort and did not walk a batter. She struck out two en route to her 16th win in 25 decisions.

The lone run scored by the Blue Raiders came in the top of the fourth inning when Amanda Trampe led off with a single and, one out later, scored all the way from first base on a double to left by Abbi Goedde.

Rio Grande, which stranded a pair of runners in the first and one runner in both the second and third innings, finally scored a breakthrough against LWC starter Casey Bryan in the bottom of the fourth.

Sophomore Mattie Lanham reached on a one-out walk and, one out later, scored from first on a double to deep right-center by freshman Kari Jenkins (Jackson, OH) – the first hit of the day for the RedStorm – to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman pinch-hitter Shanea Long (Wellston, OH) followed with a hard grounder that stayed under the glove of LWC shortstop Madison Scott and went into left-center for a single which allowed Jenkins to score the go-ahead run.

The Blue Raiders were retired in order in the fifth and managed just a one-out infield single by Trampe in the sixth, but they did make things a bit interesting in the seventh.

Travatia Bowden was hit by a pitch to begin the inning and moved to third on a pair of groundouts, but Jones induced Andrea Whelan to pop weakly to second for the game’s final out.

Bryan suffered just her third loss in 21 decisions, despite allowing just three hits in a complete game effort. The freshman did issue a season-high four walks, but also had a season-high 12 strikeouts.

Game two was a showcase for Lindsey Wilson pitcher Jordan Hood.

Hood, a junior right-hander and the MSC Pitcher of the Year in 2013, took a perfect game into the fifth inning and finished with a complete-game two-hitter. She walked just one and fanned 12.

Hood also starred at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored. Scott also had four hits in the victory, while Kristina Krupinski and Brittney Graves both had two hits and an RBI and Goedde added a double.

Hood’s home run gave the Blue Raiders a 1-0 second inning lead, before run-scoring hits by Scott and Krupinski in the fourth and and RBI hit by Graves in the fifth extended the lead to 4-0.

Jones coaxed a leadoff walk from Hood in the fifth to end the perfect game and, one out later, Lanham singled to left to end the no-hit bit and send Jones to second. Freshman Alex Kuhn (Oak Hill, OH) followed with a single to center to plate Jones, but the rally died shortly thereafter when Hood fanned both Jenkins and Long.

Lindsey Wilson tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh thanks to an RBI double by Goedde and an error.

Freshman starter Tiffany Bise (Circleville, OH) suffered her fourth loss in 15 decisions for Rio, allowing four hits – including the Hood home run – in two innings of work.

Rio Grande returns to action on Wednesday afternoon when it hosts Georgetown University in the 2014 home finale. First pitch for game one of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.

Live video and play-by-play of both games will be available at www.ihigh.com/redstorm beginning at 12:50 p.m.