the IU Columbus baseball team swept a three-game River States Conference series over Rio Grande at CERA Sports Park over the weekend. They then closed out the season with a home win over University of Cincinnati Clermont on Wednesday.

Thursday, April 23
Game 1
The first game of the doubleheader was definitely not a pitchers' duel as the teams combined for 29 hits and 24 runs. The visitors got on the board with two runs in each of the first two innings off starting pitcher Grayson Roll. The Crimson Pride offense got things going in the second as Trey VanMeter doubled with one out, and he scored on a Cyrus Robinson single, and Robinson moved to second on an error by the right fielder. Gavin Lash stroke a two-out RBI single to make the score 4-2 after two innings. Quentcy Perry led off the third inning with a double, and he moved on to third on Wyatt Sutton's infield single. Aidan Sheetz grounder to short scored Perry,cutting the lead to one.

The Red Storm scored three runs in the fourth inning, and Ethan Brinsfield came on in relief of Roll. The Crimson Pride answered back with a big fourth inning. Robinson led off with a single to center field and a misplay let him move all the way to third. Robinson scored on a slow roller by Garrett Thurman, just beating the throw with a nice slide at the plate. Lash walked, and two outs later Sutton also walked to load the bases. Sheetz walked to force in Thurman. Carson McNulty then drilled a double to left field, scoring Lash and Sutton. VanMeter followed with an RBI single to give the Crimson Pride an 8-7 lead after four innings.

The Red Storm scored two more runs in the sixth to regain the lead 9-8. The Crimson Pride put up another big inning in the seventh. VanMeter and Thurman were each hit by a pitch, sandwiched around a Robinson single. Lash ripped a two-RBI single, Daulton Phillips brought in Thurman with a sacrifice fly, and Perry doubled. Sutton's single brought in two more runs for a five run inning and a 13-9 lead. 

Gavin Haltom came on in relief to start the eighth inning and the Red Storm went three up, three down. IUC added two more runs in the bottom half on singles by McNulty, Robinson and Thurman. Haltom threw a scoreless ninth  as the Crimson Pride took the opener 15-9.

Game 2
Caleb Richards got the start on the mound for the Crimson Pride and breezed through the first three innings. The offense took advantage of walks and a strange play to give him an early lead to work with. Perry, Sutton and Sheetz each walked in the first to load the bases with no outs. McNulty popped up just in front of home plate, and the infield fly rule was called. The Rio Grande first baseman dropped the ball, however , and perry raced for home. The first baseman picked up the ball and tagged the plate without tagging Perry. His run would count as the force was not in effect because of the infield fly rule, gifting the Crimson Pride a head-scratching run. VanMeter doubled in Sutton and courtesy runner Will Lewis to give the home team a 3-0 lead after one inning.

The Red Storm scored two runs in the fourth to chase Richards, with Weston Hanks coming om in relief. IUC scored once in the bottom of the fifth to lead 4-2. Rio Grande added one run in the sixth, and the home team answered again in the bottom half. Two-out singles by Sutton and Sheetz put runners on first and third, and Sutton scored on a passed ball to give the Crimson Pride a 5-3 lead going into the last inning.

Haltom came in as the closer with two outs in the sixth looking for two saves in one day. The Red Storm had other ideas in the seventh, however, and they scored two runs to tie the game at 5-5 going into th bottom of the inning.  Robinson walked with one out, and Thurman's infield single put runners on first and second. Lash came through in the clutch as his single to center field scored Robinson, and the Crimson Pride celebrated a sweep of the doubleheader. Haltom didn't get the save, but did pick up the win with the final score 6-5.