No. 17 Grenadiers Split Doubleheader With Rio Grande

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The No.17-ranked IU Southeast baseball team dropped the series opener 11-7 to Rio Grande before bouncing back with a 2-1 win on Friday.

In game one, the RedStorm used a seven-run second inning to take a commanding lead after Trevor Campbell had given the Grenadiers a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the top of the first.

Six-straight singles for Rio Grande pushed across three runs and a grand slam by Will Mann extended the lead to 7-1.

Brody Tanksley cut into the deficit in the third with a solo home run, his eighth of the year.

The RedStorm added a pair of runs in the third and one in fifth but IU Southeast got back in the game with a five-run sixth inning.

Trevor Campbell hit a three-run home run to spark the rally. After Tanksley singled, Marco Romero hit a home run to right-center, his second of the year, to cut the lead to 10-7.

The Grenadiers had runners at second and third with two outs in the seventh, but a groundout ended the inning.

In the ninth, Clay Woeste and Tyler Mills stole second and third after a pair of walks put them on base. But a strikeout ended the game.

Marco Romero and Brody Tanksley each had three hits. Trevor Campbell had two hits and drove in four and John Ullom and Clay Woeste each had two hits in the win.

In game two, IU Southeast had runners in scoring position in the first and fourth but could not score. In the fifth, Ben Berenda hit a solo home run to right, his second of the season, to get the Grenadiers on the board first.

The RedStorm tied the game in the bottom of the sixth as they finally got to starter Hunter Kloke, who allowed the first RedStorm batter to reach with a double and did not allow another hit until the sixth.

A walk and a throwing error put runners at the corners with two out and Jakob Johnson followed with a single down the left-field line to tie the game.

In the seventh, Ben Berenda drew a one-out walk. He was replaced by pinch-runner Trevor MacDonald. After John Ullom flew out, Ray Aponte doubled to right-center and MacDonald scored.

That was enough run support for Kloke who retired the side in order with a flyout and a pair of strikeouts.

He worked all seven innings allowing one unearned run on two hits, walked one and struck out a career-high 14.

Brody Tanksley was 2-for-3 in the win.

IU Southeast concludes the series tomorrow at 2 p.m.