No. 1 Marian rallies late to defeat No. 5 Rio Grande in Indianapolis Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A two-run triple in the fourth and a two-run home run in the sixth by Savannah Harweger helped lift No. 1 Marian (Ind.) to a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over No. 5 Rio Grande (Ohio) on Tuesday in the Indianapolis Bracket of the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round.

With the loss, the RedStorm (35-18) fall into the consolation bracket, where they will play the winner of No. 4 Aquinas (Mich.) and No. 3 Middle Georgia State on Wednesday. The Saints and the Knights were scheduled to follow the Rio-Marian game, but the game was postponed to Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET.

The Rio elimination game against either Aquinas or Middle Georgia State is slated to be the third game played on Wednesday, with a tentative start time of 1:30 p.m. ET.

Marian, who ranked No. 8 in the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, improves to 45-10 as they advance to the finals of the winner's bracket, where they will take on No. 2 Southern Oregon on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.

The RedStorm got off to a quick start, scoring a run in the opening frame. Caitlyn Brisker walked to open the inning before swiping second to put a runner in scoring position. Three batters later, Peyton Young singled through the left side, scoring Brisker and giving Rio an early 1-0 lead.

The Knights tied the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the first, but Rio Grande answered with one in the third and three in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead.

Fresh off a two-home run performance in the opener on Monday, Gabby Adams gave Rio the lead back with an RBI single, scoring Brisker, who opened the inning with a double.

Then in the fourth, Boo Sturgill walked, Natalie Bates singled, and Megan Bazler was hit to load the bases with nobody out. The lineup then turned over to Brisker, who ripped an RBI single to center scoring Sturgill to make it 3-1 Rio.

Following a fielder's choice to get the force out at home, Madison Ogden stepped in the box and delivered a two-run single through the right side, scoring Bazler and Brisker to push the RedStorm lead to 5-1.

The Knights answered with a three-spot of their own in the bottom of the fourth, getting an RBI single from Hayley Green and a two-run triple by Harweger to cut the Rio lead back to one at 5-4.

Following a rain delay that lasted nearly three and a half hours in the top of the fifth, Rio would take a 5-4 lead into the sixth after stranding a pair of Knights in the bottom of the fifth.

The top of the sixth saw a leadoff single by Bazler, but she was stranded there after the next three were retired in order.

In the bottom of the sixth, Anna Pritchett walked to open the inning bringing Herweger to the dish. She hit the first pitch she saw, sending it over the fence in left-center for a two-run home run. The home run completed a 3-for-4 day with four RBIs and two runs for Herweger.

The RedStorm got a base runner in the top of the seventh, but she was left stranded after Macy Coan got back-to-back outs to clinch the 6-5 victory for the Knights. Coan (11-4) pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit.

Ogden was pinned with the loss for the RedStorm, allowing six runs – five earned – on seven hits with seven strikeouts.