RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- Rio Grande pounced on the University of Pikeville baseball team early with a three-run first inning, then added another big burst in the fifth to claim a 14-9 win on Tuesday.

It was only a 6-3 deficit for the Bears (16-12) after four innings, but the RedStorm scored five runs on five hits in the fifth to take an eight-run lead and hold off UPIKE despite being outscored 6-3 down the stretch.

Josh Bailey took the loss on the mound after scattering seven hits for six runs with four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, while Trent Downs picked up the win after allowing five runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.

Centerfielder Connor Osborne had a big day at the plate in the loss, going 4 for 5 with a home run and a pair of doubles, while Bailey collected three hits and scored a run at the dish.

Carlos Flores paced Rio Grande (18-15), finishing 3 for 5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.

With the help of Osborne's fourth-inning blast, it was just a 4-3 lead for the RedStorm, but they added two runs in the bottom of the inning, then five in the fifth and three in the sixth to use a 10-4 scoring burst to take a big lead.

UPIKE did all of the scoring over the final three innings with two runs in both the seventh and ninth innings, but the deficit ended up being too big to overcome.

Up Next

UPIKE hosts Georgetown (Ky.) at 3 p.m. ET on Friday at Johnnie LeMaster Field.

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