Lourdes remained perfect on the 2020 season with its second consecutive doubleheader victory over Rio Grande on Sunday by scores of 6-4 and 16-14 in nine innings at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
 
The wins give the Gray Wolves a 4-0 start for the first time in program history and their first four-game series sweep of an opponent since taking four straight games from Cornerstone in 2014.
 
"I've told our guys, winning is not easy," head coach Josh Bradford said after the games.  "I'm proud of the guys for the work they have put in and they earned these victories."
 
The opener was scoreless until the sixth, when Lourdes took advantage of a pair of passed balls in the inning to score two runs.  The Red Storm responded with one in the bottom of the frame, and the game moved to the eighth with the Gray Wolves in front 2-1.
 
Kolby Rogge (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.), who would earn the win (1-0), worked 6.2 innings allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out five and not walking anyone.
 
"Kolby was awesome for us in game one," Bradford said.  "He gave us a chance to win."
 
Lourdes would add a run in the top of the eighth on a wild pitch, only to see Rio Grande answer in the bottom of the inning.  A two-run triple by Harrison Jackson (Millbury, Ohio/Lake H.S.) in the top of the ninth followed by a RBI single by Cameron Gallo (Mason, Ohio/Bishop Fenwick H.S.) gave the Gray Wolves the insurance runs they would need, as the Red Storm added two more runs in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to push the tying runs across.
 
Jackson, Gallo, Sedrick Gonzalez (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield H.S.), and Reilly Walters (Bowmanville, Ont./Bowmanville H.S.) all had two hits for the Gray Wolves as part of a 10-hit attack.
 
Trey Carter led Rio Grande in the opener with three of the Red Storm's 11 hits.  Zach Kendall took the loss (0-3), allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, in seven innings of work while striking out eight.
 
Game two saw the Gray Wolves jump out to a large lead, only for Rio Grande to tie it in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings, before Lourdes pulled the game out.  The Gray Wolves took advantage of eight Red Storm errors, scoring eight unearned runs in the contest.
 
The Red Storm scored first in the opening inning before Lourdes plated a pair of unearned tallies in the second.  Three more runs crossed the plate in the top of the fourth for the Gray Wolves, only to see Rio Grande answer in the bottom of the frame.
 
Leading 7-5 heading to the sixth, the Gray Wolves sent 10 batters to the plate, scoring six times, before adding another run in the seventh to build a 14-5 advantage.
 
Rio Grande (0-11) sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning, scoring nine runs to tie the contest, the final three all with two outs, to force extra innings.
 
In the ninth, Jackson reached on a two-out error and Gallo followed with a single and an error that allowed the go-ahead run to score.  Jay Denman (Toledo, Ohio/Saint Francis de Sales H.S.) followed with a RBI hit, giving Lourdes a two-run advantage.
 
Max Lojko (Barrie, Ont./ESC Nouvelle-Alliance H.S.) earned the win in relief, his second in as many days, tossing two scoreless frames in extra innings.  He allowed just one hit and struck out two in securing the victory.
 
"We got some big hits when we needed them in game two," Bradford added.  "It would have been easy to quit after they came back, but we hung in there to complete the sweep."
 
Lourdes had 11 hits in game two, with Brad Ammons (Holland, Ohio/Springfield H.S.) and Glen Crabtree (Medina, Ohio/Black River H.S.) tallying two each.
 
Caden Cluxton had a four-hit game for Rio Grande in the nightcap as the Red Storm tallied 13 safeties.  Carter Smith suffered the loss (0-1) on the hill, allowing the two runs in the ninth.
 
Lourdes (4-0) will have nearly two weeks off before returning to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 28 as the Gray Wolves begin a four-game series against Georgetown (Ky.).  First pitch in game one of the twinbill is set for 1 p.m. at Robert N. Wilson Field in Georgetown, Ky.