Rio Grande’s Caine Whitney fires a pitch plate ward during the seventh inning of Saturday’s 7-1 loss to Midway University in River States Conference action at Farmer-Ball Stadium.
Courtesy photo
MIDWAY, Ky. — Midway University parlayed a first inning lead and a strong pitching performance by Andy Melgoza into a 7-1 win over the University of Rio Grande, Saturday afternoon, in River States Conference baseball action in the inaugural game at Farmer-Ball Stadium.
The Eagles improved to 5-10 overall and 1-0 in conference play with the win – a successful christening of their new on-campus facility.
Rio Grande fell to 0-16 overall and 0-1 in the RSC.
Melgoza allowed six hits and one run over six innings, while walking two and striking out eight for his third win in as many decisions.
Midway got all the offense it would need in the opening inning thanks to a two-run single by Cameron Nichols, while adding single markers in the third and fourth innings thanks to a home run by Graham Luttor and an RBI single by Tyson Orr.
Rio Grande got on the scoreboard in the fifth thanks to a two-out, run-scoring single by freshman Tristan Arno (Elyria, OH), but failed to dent the plate again despite getting runners into scoring position over each of the next three innings.
The Eagles sealed the win by tacking on three more runs in the home half of the eighth.
Ryan Davis and Corey Plahuta had RBI hits in the inning, while Marquise Glenn plated the other marker by drawing a bases-loaded walk.
Freshman Trey Carter (Wheelersburg, OH) started and took the loss, allowing four hits, five walks and four runs – three earned – over six innings.
Arno finished 2-for-3 in the loss, while senior Caden Cluxton (Washington Court House, OH) and freshman Albert Bobadilla (Bronx, NY) both had a double.
Orr and Nichols had two hits apiece for Midway, which had eight hits and was the beneficiary of nine walks by three RedStorm pitchers.
The two teams were slated to conclude their weekend series on Sunday with a doubleheader.
Randy Payton is the Sports Information Director at the University of Rio Grande.
