Rangers Split Season Finale Series with Nebraska-Kearney; Earn Sixth Seed in Upcoming RMAC Tournament
Denver, Colo.: The Regis Ranger baseball team finished up their regular season with a four-game split with Nebraska-Kearney. UNK took the first two games on Friday 19-4 and 4-0, while Regis took both games on Saturday by scores of 19-10 and 6-5.
Regis got on the board in the top of the first when with one out junior Jesus Arzaga hit a double to center field. Two batters later fellow junior J.T. Putt drove him in on a single to center field.
UNK took a lead in the bottom of the second with five runs and then took a 10-1 lead after scoring five more in the fifth. Regis got one back in the sixth, but couldn't hold down the Loper offense as they tacked on six more in the seventh and three additional runs in the eighth inning to make the final 19-4.
UNK had 21 hits to just eight four Regis, four of which were by Arzaga (4-for-5). Putt added two hits for Regis. Freshman Steve Falconi (3-5) was saddled with the loss, while Ryan Sheldon (8-3) picked up the victory for UNK.
Click here for game 1 boxscore.
The second game was truly a pitcher's duel as each pitcher threw complete games with Loper Jared Loschen allowing the Rangers to just three hits. He shutout the Rangers while striking out 12 Rangers. Regis had not been shutout since a 4-0 loss to Colorado mines on April 21, 2007, 111 games ago.
Arzaga again had a good game going 2-for-3. Junior Gerard Mohrmann got the bad luck loss going six innings scattering seven hits and allowing just three earned runs. He struck out four and walked just one falling to 1-3 on the season.
Click here for game 2 boxscore.
Saturday's games were a night and day difference from Friday's. In the first game of the day Regis pounded out 20 hits, they had 11 in both games Friday, to take the game 19-10.
UNK jumped out early scoring four runs in the first inning. Two innings later Regis tied the game at four when Regis hit back-to-back homeruns. Arzaga hit his 10th homerun of the season driving in junior Chris Steinbeck and then Mohrmann hit a solo job over the right center fence, his seventh of the season.
The Rangers took a 9-4 lead after scoring five runs in the fifth inning. With one out senior Michael Khouri singled to center field to plate Putt who was got aboard via a hit by pitch. The next batter, sophomore Aaron Salvucci, hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored junior Patrick Farrell who got on with a single.
After subsequent batters, freshman Dave Holland and senior Mike Benton, got on by a hit by pitch and a walk, Steinbeck hit a bases clearing double to right field driving in Benton, Holland and Khouri.
UNK came back with two runs to cut the lead to 9-6, but again the Ranger bats responded in the top of the sixth with another five spot. They scored the runs on just two hits, but two Loper errors helped the Rangers' cause.
Benton connected on his first homerun of the season, a two-run bomb, only his second in his four-year career at Regis driving in Salvucci. The Rangers took a commanding lead and scored five more runs over the next three innings to take the game 19-10.
Freshman Mike McElreath got his first win of the season (1-2) going six strong innings scattering six hits and allowing four earned runs, while striking out three.
Steinbeck came to the plate seven times and connected on four hits while driving in three. Three other Ranges, Farrell, Khouri, and Salvucci each collected three hits, while Benton and Arzaga each had two. Arzaga also had three RBI for Regis while Khouri, Salvucci, Holland and Benton collected two RBI.
Click here for game 3 boxscore.
In the series finale the Lopers held a 5-3 victory after four innings of play. The two teams couldn't push a run across the next two innings and with one final at bat remaining the Rangers were looking at going 1-3 in Nebraska.
The Ranger hitting was helped by two Loper errors in the seventh inning as Regis was able to push across three runs to take a 6-5 lead. Benton led off the seventh with a single to the shortstop and then was able to stay on the base paths on an error by the second baseman.
Senior Curtis Hornaday drove in Benton and then the next batter, Putt, tied the game on a single to center field that plated Arzaga. After Putt stole second the Loper second baseman again allowed Regis to stay alive throwing another error this time allowing Farrell to reach first and the go-ahead run, Putt, score from second base.
Junior Anthony Musielak then allowed the first two batters for UNK to reach via walks with no outs. Musielak then struck out one of the best hitters in the RMAC and then enduced a game-ending double play to pick up his third victory of the season (3-4).
He went 3 1/3 innings allowing just two hits, no runs and struck out three. Benton went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Steinbeck, Hornaday and Putt were each 2-for-4.
Click here for game 4 boxscore.
The Rangers are the sixth seed in this weeks RMAC Tournament to be held in Pueblo, Colo. Regis will take on #1 seed Mesa State on Wednesday afternoon.
