Sports
Rio Grande Shuts Out WVU Tech In Doubleheader
By: Brendan Margolies
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The Community Literacy Day in Rio Grande brought the RedStorm (12-17) enough good karma to shutout West Virginia Tech (7-11) in a doubleheader. Chris Ford led the RedStorm with five total RBIs in the two games including 4 of 5 hitting and two runs.
The RedStorm won the first game 7-0, with Anthony Knittel starting on the mound, throwing five scoreless innings. Jonathan Schob picked up the save after Brandon Stevens came in for Knittel in the sixth inning.
West Virginia Tech pitcher Tommy Weavers allowed all seven of the RedStorm’s runs in the first and third innings. Ford picked up two of his RBIs in the first inning and Grant Tamane picked up an RBI and a run to give the RedStorm a 4-0 lead after one inning. Austin Hall singled in Daryin Lewis and Ford in the third inning after Marcus Makuch scored on a wild pitch from Weavers to make it 7-0.
The RedStorm took the second game of the doubleheader 5-0 behind pitcher Kyle Miller, who threw a complete game without allowing a single run on nine strikeouts with only one walk.
“Both Knittel and Miller threw outstanding [games],” Rio Grande head coach Brad Warnimont said. “Knittel had a few more walks than we’d like but was solid. Miller was just fantastic.”
Tamane got things started for Rio Grande in the first inning when he stole a base after he singled, which put him in scoring position for Makuch who brought him in.
Ford continued his onslaught against the Golden Bear defense in the fourth, where he picked up two RBIs and a run on WVU Tech starting pitcher Craig Johnson. Johnson was replaced by JC Spears, who allowed the final run on a Ford sacrifice fly that brought in Kyle Findley.
Rio Grande turned four double plays during the two games, while their pitchers kept control on the mound throughout the game. “We turned some timely double plays,” Warnimont said. “They were key and looked routine.”
As part of the Literacy Day activities, Rio Grande players read stories to children at the game during the time in between the two games. Warnimont called it, “a win-win for both parties involved.”