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 stroked 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 on 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.

Friday, April 24
Carter Reitz was the starting pitcher for the Crimson Pride, and he continued his string of strong performances late in the season. He was given an early lead as the Crimson Pride got on the board in the first. Perry led off with a single and Sutton walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Sheetz' double drove in Perry for the first run of the game. Sutton and courtesy runner Lewis scored on an error by the shortstop to make the score 3-0 after one inning.

Rio Grande scored once in the fourth and again in the fifth to cut the lead to 3-2. Sutton got the offense rolling again in the bottom of the sixth as he led off with a double. Walks to McNulty and VanMeter loaded the bases with one out. Robinson tripled to clear the bases and give the Crimson Pride a 6-2 lead.

The Red Storm scored one run in the eighth to narrow the lead. After a leadoff double in the ninth, Haltom was called in from the bullpen once again. Reitz received a well-deserved round of applause from the fans and congratulations on a job well done by his teammates. Haltom finished the game for a 6-3 win and a series sweep for the Crimson Pride.

Wednesday, April 29
Freshman Grayson Roll got the start in the final game of the season for IU Columbus against UC Clermont. The offense gave him a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a Gavin Lash sacrifice fly. UC Clermont touched Roll for two runs in the fourth for a 2-1 lead. IU Columbus tied the game in the bottom half on an RBI double by Thurman to tie the game.

UC Clermont took advantage of a pair of Crimson Pride errors in the fifth to score two runs for a 4-2 lead. IU Columbus used relievers to keep the game within reach until the offense could put something together. Avery Seegers came in as a pinch hitter with one out in the seventh and was hit by a pitch, and Perry followed with a double. Sheetz walked with two outs to load the bases. McNulty came through with a two-run single to tie the game. VanMeter's RBI single gave them the lead, and Robinson doubled in McNulty and VanMeter to cap a five-run, two-out rally for a 7-4 lead after seven innings.

The Crimson Pride used six pitchers throughout the game, and Haltom was called on once again to finish it up in the ninth. He allowed one run, but that was good enough for the win, as the Crimson Pride finished the season by winning their last four games.