RIO GRANDE, Ohio – For the second straight River States Conference series, the Indiana University Kokomo baseball team earned a sweep, this time over the Rio Grande RedStorm. After winning the series opener on Thursday, the Cougars swept the doubleheader yesterday to move to 6-0 in league play and 12-7 overall.
Game One Key Moments
- Riley Garczynski led the game off with a single and moved up on a Pat Mills double. Dylan Steele put a ball in play that was not handled cleanly by the Rio first basemen, allowing Garczynski and Mills to score. Hurlock singled later in the inning and would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Janke. The Cougars led 3-0 after one complete inning.
- Hurlock added four more runs to the Cougars' tally in the top of the second when he launched a grand slam over the left centerfield wall, extending the IUK lead to 7-0.
- Rio Grande got on the board in the second with a solo homerun.
- The RedStorm added another run in the third and one in the fourth.
- In the top of the fourth the Cougars got a run back as Jack Leverenz drove in Steele who reached on a walk earlier in the inning.
- Rio added two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth, making it an 8-7 game in favor of the Cougars.
- Tahj Borom came on to pinch run for Janke after a single and eventually scored to give the Cougars the 9-7 lead.
- Mills and Steele led off the Cougars' half of the eighth with back-to-back walks and both would score on another Rio mishap. Jared Heard came on to pinch hit and ripped a double, allowing Hurlock to score, giving IUK a 12-7 advantage.
- The RedStorm got another solo homerun in their final at-bat to make the final score, 12-8.
Game One Pitching
- Ben Harris got the start for the Cougars and threw 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits while striking out four batters.
- Sam Hinshaw earned the win, coming on in relief.
- Ryan Beck threw four innings and allowed three runs on three hits while striking out six to earn the save.
Game On By the Numbers
- Hurlock finished with four hits, four RBI, and three runs scored.
- Garczynski recorded two hits.
- Steele drew four walks
Game Two Key Moments
- Steele got the Cougars on the board with a two-run blast in the top of first frame.
- Luke Hanson started the second inning with a leadoff double and move up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Borom. Garczynski plated Hanson with a sacrifice fly, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead.
- Tucker Platt led off the fourth with a single and later scored on a Garczynski single to make it a 4-0 game. The big blast in the inning came from Mills who launched his third homerun of the year, a two-run shot.
- Rio scored its lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Game Two Pitching
- JT Holton had his second quality start in a row as the freshman tossed a complete game to earn the win. Holton recorded nine strikeouts while allowing six hits.
Game Two By the Numbers
- Three Cougars finished with two hits.
- The Cougars offense struck out just three times
Up Next
- The Cougars will welcome Aquinas to Kokomo Municipal Stadium on Wednesday, March 16. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.