No. 4 Rio Grande hangs on for 10-9 win over No. 1 IU Southeast in Winner's Final
No. 4 Rio Grande hangs on for 10-9 win over No. 1 IU Southeast in Winner's Final
BOX SCORE
KINGSPORT, Tenn. -- No. 4 seed University of Rio Grande built a 10-4 lead but had to hang on for a 10-9 win over No. 1 IU Southeast on Friday in the winner's bracket final of the KIAC Baseball Tournament from Hunter Wright Stadium.
The RedStorm (36-22) had its offense in high gear once again and put up double digit runs for the third time in three tournament games. That resulted in a 10-4 lead through six innings.
The hitting supported Rio Grande starter Zach Harvey, who got the victory in six innings of work. The freshman right-hander struck out six, walked two, gave up seven hits and turned a 10-4 lead over to the bullpen.
IU Southeast (40-12) starter Brian Cherrington did not fare as well as he did not get out of the second inning. Rio Grande put up four runs in the second keyed by a Luis Jimenez two-RBI double.
Rio Grande later led, 6-0, through four innings, and the Grenadiers had used four pitchers to that point.
Carlos Flores led the RedStorm attack going 2 for 4 with three runs and two RBIs. Picking up two hits apiece were Daryin Lewis, Kirk Yates and Cody Blackburn. Lewis scored two runs, and Jimenez drove in a pair.
Rio Grande had 11 hits as a team and also took advantage of six IU Southeast errors that made three of the 10 runs unearned. It was a marathon game lasting three hours and 40 minutes, and it went down to the wire.
Lanham Crabtree was the fifth IU Southeast pitcher to work, and he tossed the 2.2 scoreless innings to keep things at 10-4 and allow the Grenadiers a chance.
Rio Grande reliever Zac Morris pitched 2.1 innings but had to be lifted with one out in the ninth as IU Southeast was mounting its comeback. The Grenadiers totaled five runs on four hits in the inning and got the tying run to third with two outs.
Big hits in the inning were RBI base hits by Clay Benefield, Trent Simpson and Logan Coughlin, the last of which brought home two runs to make the score 10-9 with one outs.
Coughlin's hit came off Rio Grande pitcher Yates, who came in from right field to get the final two outs and the save. Although he gave up a couple of hits, Yates got Kyle Asher to fly out to deep right-center and Benefield to ground to short to end the game.
Benefield was 4 for 6 to lead the Grenadiers. Coughlin, Simpson and Cody Maloon tallied two hits apiece.
Rio Grande advances to the championship round on Saturday at 11 a.m. and will need to be beaten twice to be eliminated. IU Southeast dropped down to the loser's bracket to play Friday night at 7 p.m. for the right to advance to the finals.
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