Rangers Split with Thunderwolves to Open Season with a 1-3 Record

Denver, Colo.: After dropping two to Fort Hays on Sat. Feb. 7th, the Rangers returned on the 8th to split with the Thunderwolves. Colorado State Pueblo ran away with the first victory 5-4 before Regis came back to defeat them 6-3.

The Rangers (1-3, 0-0 RMAC) scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when sophomore Alisa Heronema, after singling up the middle to lead off the inning, scored from third on a while pitch by CSU-Pueblo's Kayla Dionese.

The second inning went scoreless before CSU Pueblo scored two in the third and Regis tacked one run onto their previous one tying the score at two. The fourth was another scoreless inning before each team scored one in the fifth and sixth bringing the score to 4-4 going into the seventh.

Leading off the inning, Kelly Purcell singled up the middle to put the go-ahead run on first. She advanced to second on a wild pitch before Katie Johnson flied out to the shortstop. With one out and Purcell on second, a past ball put the fifth run on third before a wild pitch brought her home. Regis got out of the inning without giving up another run but were unable to put the tying run across the plate concluding the game at a 5-4 victory in Pueblo's favor.

While the Rangers' offense couldn't score one in the bottom of the seventh, they had no problem getting five across in the bottom of the first inning in the second game after the Thunderwolves scored one. Heronema singled up the middle once again before being thrown out at second on a fielders choice that Natalie Adami reached first on. Jamie Winsor singled to the shortstop putting runners at first and second with one out. Nikki Haberkorn walked loading the bases for senior Jacki Martinez who drilled one down the left field line bringing in Adami and Winsor. Freshman Meagan Cooley lined out to right field before sophomore Emily Anderson homered to left center bringing in Martinez and Haberkorn. Freshman Cassie Long grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 5-1.

The next two innings went scoreless before the Rangers added one run to their five in the bottom of the fourth. Two more scoreless innings brought the Thunderwolves to bat down by five. Fighting back, Pueblo scored two but couldn't come closer to the Rangers ending the game after the top of the seventh. Regis walked away with their first victory this season defeating CSU-Pueblo 6-3.

The Rangers will head to California for five games between Feb. 14th and 15th before heading home to play in another tournament in Colorado Springs the following weekend.

Click here for game one boxscore. Click here for game two boxscore.