Denver, Colo.: The Ranger baseball team spotted Colorado Christian three runs in the top of the first in each of the two games Friday but was able to come back in both defeating the Cougars 10-5 and 7-6.
Regis (19-22, 17-16 RMAC) responded in game one with three in the bottom half of the first. Junior Alex Haag, a surprise as the Rangers leadoff man, came through with a leadoff homerun to centerfield. Freshman Steven Brault walked and senior Zach Blakeley singled to put two on with two outs. Freshman John Tosches, who went 4-for-4 in the game, drove in both with a double to right center.
Colorado Christian (7-36, 3-30 RMAC) scored two in the second but the Rangers scored one run in each of the second, third, and fourth innings to take a 6-5 lead. Regis scored one in the sixth and then game junior starter Charlie Henderson some insurance runs with three in the eighth.
Tosches got another RBI in the eighth on a single and Blakeley and sophomore Tim Lewis each got an RBI on walks with the bases loaded.
Henderson settled down after the first two innings to throw his fifth complete game of the season and improve to 7-2 on the season, which is the fourth most wins in one season at Regis. Henderson allowed five hits in the first two innings and scattered just six over the remaining seven.
Tosches drove in a career-high four runs and scored two himself. Brault, Blakeley, sophomore Bob Terry, and freshman Jon Shoutta each collected two hits.
Regis again let the Cougars get off to a three-run lead in game two. The Rangers offense responded in the bottom half of that inning with two runs. Again, Tosches came through with a two-run single in the first to score Haag and Terry.
Regis got two more in the fourth and two more in the sixth to take a 6-4 lead in the seven inning game. Unfortunatley, CCU scored two runs in the top of the seventh off Regis reliever Hunter Aronson.
That is where the Regis heroics began however. Brault led off the inning with a single to centerfield. Brault then stole second base, just his third of the season. Blakeley then flied out to centerfield and Tosches was intentionally walked. Junior Ty Lain came up and hit a ball to the shortstop who threw to second for the force and when the second baseman tried to turn the double play threw it away, which allowed Brault to score from third for the winning run.
Tosches went 2-for-3 with two RBIs while junior Dave Holland scored two runs.
Junior starter Steve Falconi threw five innings and got a no-decision. He scattered five hits and allowed four runs. Senior Bryant Asnicar threw one inning allowing just one hit. Aronson picked up his first win of the season.
