GALLIPOLIS, Ohio – Campbellsville University baseball dropped its second straight Mid-South Conference series Saturday after the University of Rio Grande rallied to sweep a doubleheader 4-3 and 8-4.
 

The RedStorm used a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth of game one and an eight-run sixth inning to win the second game of the doubleheader after a strong pitching performance through five innings by Tiger starter Matt Robertson.

Campbellsville falls to 10-8 in the Mid-South Conference and 25-13 overall.

The Tigers are scheduled to return home Tuesday, April 16 for a non-conference game against Trevecca Nazarene University at 6 p.m. and then are slated to host Asbury University for a doubleheader Wednesday at 5 p.m. EDT.  

GAME 1 – Rio Grande 4, Campbellsville 3
Rio took a 1-0 lead in the second on a sac fly by Zach Dulmer, but Campbellsville flipped the score, 2-1 in the fourth on RBIs by Allen Hewey and Angelo Simmons.

The RedStorm flipped the score again, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer by Kirk Yates after Chris Ford led off the inning with a single. Neither team scored in the fifth and sixth but Shayne Kelly evened the score in the top of the seventh with an RBI single to score Simmons, who singled to start the inning. Simmons and Kelly each hit 2-for-4 in the game to lead the Tigers.

The score remained tied through eight and a half, but Kyle Findley delivered the game-winning single in the bottom of the night to plate Grant Tamane, who singled with two outs. Findley and Yates each had two hits for the RedStorm.

Sean Bouthilette started on the mound for Campbellsville and allowed three runs off five hits and two walks. Brett DeRooy took over in the seventh and was credited with the loss, pitching 2 2/3 innings. He allowed only one run off two hits, which all came in the ninth inning. He had three strikeouts. Anthony Bond relieved Michael Deitsch in the eighth and recorded the win by retiring all four batters faced.

GAME 2 – Rio Grande 8, Campbellsville 4
Tiger startng pitcher Matt Robertson carried a no-hitter through five innings, but Rio Grande unloaded eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally for its second win of the day.  

Robertson allowed four earned runs off two hits and two walks in the sixth before being pulled for Drew Pettit. Pettit took over with a 4-1 lead and issued a bases-loaded, RBI walk to Tamane for Rio's second run of the game. The senior lefty faced only one batter before being replaced by Jacob Phillips, who gave up a two-RBI single to Shane Spies to tie the game, 4-4, and then a two-RBI single to Findley to score Tamane as the go-ahead run as well as Spies' pinch runner, Ryan Robertson. Tylar Schmunk closed the inning on the mound for the Tigers, giving up two hits and a wild pitch, which allowed two more Rio runs.

Campbellsville started the second game with a 3-0 lead after Patrick McMeel and Michael Bush delivered doubles to score the first two runs and Hewey singled in Bush for the third run. CU added another run in the fourth with a Tanner Nielsen sac fly to score Kelly.

Outside of leaving two stranded in the first inning, the Tigers left one runner on base in each the third, fourth and sixth innings. Rio's only base runner outside of the sixth inning was when Yates was hit by a pitch to start the third.

David Steele had the complete game win for Rio, allowing three earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out six.