Nebraska-Kearney Takes Doubleheader from Rangers 8-7 and 6-1
Denver, Colo.: The Regis Ranger baseball team won their first three games this week but the final two of the three-game series with Nebraska-Kearney did not go as well. After defeating Nebraska-Kearney 9-7 on Friday afternoon the Rangers dropped today's doubleheader 8-7 and 6-1.
Nebraska-Kearney (11-9, 4-5 RMAC) jumped out to an early 3-0 in the first inning which included a solo blast over the left field fence by preseason All-American Blake Cover. UNK took a 4-0 lead after two before the Rangers cut the lead to 4-3 after scoring three in the fourth.
Junior Zach Blakeley hit a two-run homerun driving in senior Patrick Farrell who earned a walk and then two batters later, sophomore Alex Haag's double scored senior Max Regalado from first to plate the Rangers third run of the fourth inning.
The Lopers put three on the board in the sixth inning and one more in the ninth inning, an insurance run considering Regis (8-9, 5-4 RMAC) scored one run in the bottom of the ninth to make it an 8-7 win for the Lopers.
Farrell who went 11-for-19 this week was 3-for-4 in this game, while Blakeley, Regalado, Haag and senior J.T. Putt each collected two hits. Blakeley had a career-high four RBIs, while Regalado scored a team-high two runs.
Sophomore Steve Falconi (1-3) took the loss for Regis going 5 2/3 innings striking out five and allowing seven runs, four of them earned. Junior Reuben Gallegos and sophomore Tyler Landwehr came out of the bullpen to go 3 1/3 innings allowing just one earned run, while striking out three.
Click here for game 1 boxscore.
The runs didn't come as easily in the nightcap as it did in the first two games. Regis put a single run up in the second when Haag stepped to the plate with two outs and hit a double to left field. Sophomore Dave Holland scored Haag with a single to right field. Nebraska-Kearney tied the score in the fourth scoring one run when Cover singled and then stole second and was driven in by Andrew Haake's single through the left side.
That scored stood till the seventh frame when the Lopers exploded for five runs to blow open the game. The Rangers did not help themselves committing two errors allowing all five runs to be unearned. Haake stepped up to the plate with two out and two on and with two runs already scored hit a bomb over the left field fence for his third homerun of the season.
The Rangers went three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Regis had only three hits during the second game, one each by Blakeley, Haag and Holland. Andre O'Connor of UNK went the complete game striking out five allowing just the three hits and one earned run.
Senior Gerard Mohrmann went 6 2/3 innings allowing nine hits and just one earned run while striking out four.
Regis will travel to Grand Junction next weekend to take on Mesa State for a four-game series beginning Friday.
Click here for game 2 boxscore.
