SSU SB splits with Rio in championship-level softball doubleheader (1-0 W, 5-4 L/8)

WEST PORTSMOUTH, Ohio -- Most times, it can be difficult for a coach or a coaching staff to be satisfied with a split -- and rightfully so.

However, considering how quickly the Shawnee State softball program has progressed in just over a month's time -- as well as how Kristen Bradshaw's group competed and played in a Wednesday doubleheader against the Rio Grande softball program -- nobody could be disappointed at Shawnee State's effort from top to bottom.

In what has become customary between the two conference rivals and archrivals, Shawnee State and Rio Grande put on a championship-level type show over 15 innings and two games of play, as the Bears and RedStorm each took turns making the difficult plays look routine and difficult situations look seamless in two River States Conference contests.

Ultimately, the two sides battled to a split -- as Emily Moore's fifth inning home run to left center field in Game 1 gave Shawnee State a 1-0 victory over Rio Grande while the Bears took the RedStorm to a eight-inning battle in Game 2 before narrowly falling in extras, 5-4, in a RSC doubleheader that was held at Doc Singleton Park in West Portsmouth.

Game Summaries

Shawnee State, who collected 10 hits between the two contests, played right with Rio Grande, the current leader in the River States Conference Regular Season Standings, throughout both games, using a complete game three-hitter by Genavie Espinoza and a flawless defensive effort that saw Shawnee State fail to commit a single error in its 21 defensive chances to ground the RedStorm in a sensational 1-0 Game 1 victory.

In Game 2, the Bears jumped out in front early, using three two-baggers -- including RBI doubles by Mackenzie Hale and Emily Moore -- to take a 2-0 lead after the opening inning of the second affair, then took leads of 3-2 and 4-3 later in the going. Shawnee State also got a complete game outing inside the circle from Emma Wargel in that second game, as Wargel threw 81 of her 126 pitches for strikes in Game 2.

Game 1

From the outset, Wednesday's action proved to be a dandy -- with several highlight reel plays energizing and keying the Shawnee State side throughout the opener.

Emily Moore, who played beyond her years at shortstop throughout the two contests both at the plate and in the field, made an alert play to begin the splendid defensive effort, catching a fly ball that trailed off and was bobbled between the edge of the infield and the outfield grass by reaching at her feet to make the nifty play, saving the extension of the second frame in the process.

In the third and fourth innings of work, the talented outfield followed with two big plays of their own. Rio Grande's Lindzie Runions sent a hard, lined shot into the right center field gap, but Emily Cheatham, who got an excellent break on the well-hit ball, stayed with the play the entire way and extended outward to make a catch on the run, saving a base hit in the process.

Continuing the theme, the Shawnee State defense got another big play in the fourth -- as center field mainstay Jenna Christopher took her turn coming up large from a fielding perspective. Rio Grande's Gabby Adams -- a talented hitter in her own right -- was able to make contact by getting the tail end of her bat on a ball that appeared to also be a sure base hit as the ball tailed off into shallow center field. However, like Cheatham before her, Christopher got an excellent break on the ball, and using her speed, fully extended herself to make a diving catch to save another hit from dropping.

Those defensive plays, however, would only be the precursor for what was to come.

In what was perhaps the most spectacular play of the day, Rio Grande's Madison Brentlinger hit a hard shot to third baseman Sydney Skiver that one-hopped and deflected off of Skiver's mit as Skiver went to field the ball.

However, in an incredble sequence, the ball, in glancing off of Skiver, went straight to Moore, who fired with her barehand from deep in the hole at shortstop to gun down Brentlinger -- as Moore's sensational throw was fielded with an equally sensational pick at first base by veteran infielder Mackenzie Hale, again robbing Rio Grande of a potential base hit.

Potentially feeding off of the energy from her terrific play at shortstop defensively, Moore followed with the biggest hit of the game -- as the freshman took a 3-2 pitch from Rio Grande ace Madison Odgen, and, on the 10th pitch of the at-bat, sent the ball screaming well past the left center field fence to put Shawnee State ahead by a 1-0 margin to lead off the bottom of the fifth frame.

It proved to be the only run that Shawnee State would need in the opener.

Led by another nice grab to end the sixth inning by Bianca Belo-Diaz on a fly ball trailing off toward foul territory, the Bears were able to close the deal with their gloves.

Rio Grande got Adams, the leadoff batter to begin the seventh inning, on with a walk, and moved Adams into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, but Christopher used another nice break on a lined shot to easily catch a Nigella Reck liner to right center, while Belo-Diaz backpedaled from her position at second base, got into position and made the catch right on the edge of the infield to snag a fly out by Brentling, giving Shawnee State the 1-0 triumph in Game 1.

For the contest, Espinoza, who kept Rio Grande off balance throughout the entirety of Game 1, needed just 87 pitches to go the distance and recorded three strikeouts while walking only one in her complete game three-hitter, while Moore (1-for-2, home run, RBI, run scored) and Christopher (1-for-3) led Shawnee State at the plate.

Game 2

Fueled by its Game 1 efforts, Shawnee State began the second game with a bang -- as a one-out double to left center by Jenna Christopher was followed by back-to-back RBI doubles, one to right center field by Mackenzie Hale to score Christopher and the other to left center field by Emily Moore to bring in Hale, giving Shawnee State a 2-0 lead after an inning of work.

Rio Grande was able to battle back by manufacturing one run each in the second and third frames to tie the score at two runs apiece, but Shawnee State again got life in the fourth stanza.

Following another excellent defensive play, this time on a bead that was caught by Sydney Skiver at third base that robbed Rio Grande's Nigella Reck of a base hit, Moore, who led off the bottom half of the fourth frame for Shawnee State, gave the Bears the lead back by crushing a no-doubt home run to center field -- putting SSU back on top, 3-2, after four innings of work.

The RedStorm again manufactured a run across in the fifth, tying the game once again at three apiece on a Madison Odgen RBI groundout, but Shawnee State answered in the bottom half of the same frame with its own manufacturing, as a leadoff double by Emily Cheatham allowed Sierra Dunnagan and Christopher to move Cheatham over with groundouts, with Christopher's 4-3 RBI groundout scoring Cheatham to put Shawnee State back in front, 4-3, after five innings gone.

In the sixth, Rio Grande proceeded to threaten in a major way as Megan Bazler's leadoff walk, a single by Reck and another free pass to Lindzie Runions put the RedStorm in a position to take the lead in the frame.

Again, however, Shawnee State's defense held strong.

The next RedStorm batter, Natalie Bates, lined a hard shot that looked destined to find grass, but Hale reached up and plucked the ball in an instant, and with Runions caught off of first by moving naturally on contact, Hale simply moved to first base to force the double play -- allowing Shawnee State starting pitcher Emma Wargel to get out of the once bases-loaded, no-out jam with a strikeout of Rio Grande's Trinity Davis to keep Shawnee State in front, 4-3, heading into the seventh and final regulation frame.

However, Rio Grande stayed with matters, and was able to tie the score in the seventh inning on Gabby Adams' one-out RBI double. The RedStorm then worked out of their own bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh and took the lead for good in the top of the eighth as Kayla Sedgwick's two-out RBI base knock scored Runions to conclude the scoring.

Despite the loss, Shawnee State got strong efforts from several individuals, including Wargel, who went the distance while striking out four batters and going toe-to-toe with Rio Grande starter Meg McCallum in the contest.

Hitting-wise, Moore (2-for-4, double, home run, two RBI, run scored), Christopher (1-for-3, double, walk, RBI, run scored), Hale (1-for-4, double, RBI, run scored), Cheatham (1-for-3, run scored), Genavie Espinoza (1-for-4) and Cameryn Davidson (1-for-1) all contributed at the plate in Game 2.

Additional

With the split, Shawnee State (18-12, 13-7 River States Conference) stays very much alive for the regular season title -- as the top four teams in the conference, including Rio Grande, Indiana-Southeast, Oakland City, and Shawnee State, are all separated by just four games with 14 conference games left for Rio Grande, 12 RSC contests remaining for Shawnee State and Oakland City and 10 left for Indiana-Southeast.

A full rundown of the regular season conference race can be located at https://riverstatesconference.com/.

Two of those four teams -- the Bears and the Grenadiers -- face off this weekend beginning at 1 p.m., as Shawnee State plays host to Indiana-Southeast in a River States Conference doubleheader that will be held at Doc Singleton Park in West Portsmouth. The two teams split their previous meetings this season, with the Bears dropping Game 1 12-8 but winning Game 2, 8-2, back on March 14 in New Albany, Ind.