Day 1 Recap: RSC Baseball Championship -- Top 3 seeds all pick up wins
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio -- Day 1 at the River States Conference Baseball Championship is in the books with all three of the higher seeds picking up victories. There are three more games on Friday, including the first elimination situations of the weekend.
Follow the RSC Baseball Championship at RiverStatesConference.com with bracket, schedule and links to live coverage. Watch Live on the RSC Game Central presented by Stretch Internet. Live Stats available on Dakstats.
GAME 1 -- #1 IU SOUTHEAST 14, #6 MIDWAY 5
Top seed IU Southeast started the day with a 14-5 win over No. 6 seed Midway (Ky.). The Grenadiers (41-13) pounded out 18 hits and had five pitchers combine on the victory.
Midway had an early lead of 2-1, but IU Southeast scored 10 of the next 12 runs for an 11-4 lead heading Midway's turn at bat in the bottom of the seventh. The Grenadiers got started with a four-run third, and they tacked on four more in the sixth.
John Ullom led the attacking going 4 for 6 with two RBIs. Ben Berenda was 3 for 5, and there were four other Grenadiers with two hits apiece.
Drew Hensley pitched 5.0 innings for IU Southeast to get the win. Ryan Lee Hayed started and went 5.1 innings for Midway but took the loss.
Marquise Glenn and Max Hill each had two hits for Midway, which enjoyed the early lead of 2-1 and later got within 5-4.
GAME 2 -- #2 ASBURY 5, #5 RIO GRANDE 4
No. 2 seed Asbury (Ky.) scored three times in the bottom of the eighth for a 5-4 lead, and Will McDonald finished off his complete game in the next half inning to send the Eagles into the winner's bracket.
Asbury was down 4-2 in its half of the eighth before it put together a rally with three hits and two big errors. Walker Paris stroked an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-3. Colton Back followed with a base hit to tie, and on the play, Paris scored all the way from first after an outfield error and an errant relay throw back to the infield.
McDonald went all 9.0 innings for the win while striking out four and walking none. Rio Grande had 11 hits, much of which had it out to a 4-0 lead through five innings.
Kent Reese was 3 for 4, and Caden Cluxton went 2 for 4 with two doubles to lead the RedStorm offense. Rio Grande's Zach Kendall was saddled with the loss although he pitched into the eighth inning. He gave up four earned runs.
GAME 3 -- #3 POINT PARK 3, #4 IU KOKOMO 1
No. 3 Point Park (Pa.) and No. 4 IU Kokomo were locked in a heavy-weight pitching matchup with strong starters and relievers on both sides. The Pioneers advanced after breaking through for a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth of a 3-1 victory.
Tied at 1-1, Jouseph Renovales led off the Point Park eighth with a triple to deep center field. He raced home on a wild pitch, which was ball four to Ed Pfluger. Pfluger later stole second and scored when Antonio Carrillo reached on an infield hit followed by an error.
Point Park's Ruben Ramirez pitched the last three innings, and he closed things out in the ninth to get the win. He struck out six in his scoreless outing. He came on in relief of Nick Beardsley, who struck out 10 and gave up only five hits and one run in 6.0 innings. Jared Heard's solo homer in the fourth was the only run against him.
Renton Poole started and went 6.0 innings for IU Kokomo. He struck out nine and walked two. Point Park scratched across a run on Renovales' base hit in the third. Max McKee and Justin Reed each worked an inning out of the bullpen.
NEXT UP
Friday's action begins with an elimination game between No. 5 Rio Grande and No. 6 Midway (Ky.) at 11:00 a.m. The second game pits No. 1 IU Southeast versus No. 4 IU Kokomo with IU Kokomo eliminated with a loss. The final game of the day is No. 2 Asbury (Ky.) versus No. 3 Point Park (Pa.) at 7:00 p.m.