CHILLICOTHE, OH – The Shawnee State baseball team could not overcome an early 6-0 deficit and lost to the RedStorm of the University of Rio Grande, 9-5, at the VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, OH. Playing the rival Redstorm (15-12, 3-6) in a Mid-South Conference showdown the Bears (14-13, 3-4) saw three players have multi-hit games and freshman Taylor Smith tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in the losing effort.
Rio Grande wasted no time to grab a lead they would never surrender. The Redstorm jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to seven hits – two of which were for extra base hits – as the Bears found themselves fighting from behind the entire game.
Heading to the top of the third inning trailing by six, Shawnee State broke free for their first run of the game. Tyler Bice, who scored two runs in the game, started the inning by reaching base on a walk. Two batters later, Calvin Sluberski (2-for-5) doubled to left-center field scoring Bice from first base to pull within five.
However, Rio Grande stormed back. In the bottom of the fifth leading 6-1 the Redstorm scored three more runs on three hits to extend their lead to 9-1 which was the largest lead in the game. Tyler Donaldson (3-for-4) and Grant Tamane (3-for-5 with an RBI) lead the way for Rio Grande.
Bears freshman pitcher Taylor Smith came into relief in the fifth inning and settled the storm. Smith tossed 3.1 scoreless innings allowing no runs on no hits while walking only one batter. With Smith rolling on the mound the Bears scored four runs in the final two frames.
Senior Jordan Maier (2-for-4) started the eighth inning with a double down the left field line. After Bice reached base on another walk, Joe Henderson (1-for-4) singled down the left field to score both Maier and Bice. Henderson later scored on a sharp ground ball from Jake Lankheit in which was bobbled cutting the lead to 9-4.
After Smith got out of the bottom of the eighth inning facing only four batters the Bears threatened again in the top of the ninth. Trailing by five, Shawnee State needed base runners and Maier once again started the inning off with a hit. Two batters later, Todd Queener reached on a walk and Sluberski followed with a single to load the bases. However, Rio Grande stopped the bleeding after getting Henderson to hit a sacrifice fly and Colin Keim to line out to close out the game.
The Bears will be right back in action tomorrow in a doubleheader against Rio Grande to finish off their three-game series which is slated to start at noon. Shawnee State then will play (6) Point Park this Sunday, March 17 at 11 a.m. at Branch Rickey Park.
