GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.:  Regis softball split day one of a tripod tournament hosted by Colorado Mesa University and including the Mavericks as well as the Colorado State-Pueblo.  The Rangers dominated the first game with a 6-1 decision over tournament hosts Mesa before dropping the second game 8-6 to the ThunderWolves.

Sophomore Nicole Hull put some serious work in while in the circle against the Mavs, pitching a complete game and allowing only one earned run during that time.  She collected a 1.28 earned run average on the day after striking out three and allowing five hits.

The Rangers collected two runs in each the first, second and fourth inning to snag six runs in the game while only giving up one in the fifth to the opposition.

In the first two innings, two big homeruns helped the Rangers to some big runs.  In the first, freshman Carlie Sexton started things up with a single to left field and junior Taylor Wilcox homered to left to score the first two runs.

In the second inning, juniors Brianna Bogdajewicz and Rachel Illias did some big work.  Bogdajewicz reached on a walk and Illias sent a long ball out to score them both, putting the score at 4-0 Rangers.

Then in the fourth inning, senior Keala Bertulfo started the inning with a single up the middle with two outs and then a stolen base.  Freshman Bradey King ripped a single to the outfield that was mishandled by the left fielder causing Bertulfo to score and King to head to second base.  Freshman Alyssa Finger then reached on a throwing error by the third baseman that scored King before the Rangers ended the inning.

In game two, the Rangers scored first in the third inning after Sexton walked and Wilcox smoked yet another homerun (fourth of the season; one each in the past four games) to score two runs.

Pueblo answered with two runs of their own in the top of the next frame, but the Rangers were quick to snag the lead again with three more runs in the fourth.

Senior Shelby Wieman started out the sticks with a double down the left line.  Sophomore Ashley Prescott then walked.  With two outs, Illias hit a hard-to-handle ball to left field that the ThunderWolves defense misplayed, allowing the Rangers to cross two.  The Sexton doubled through the right side to score Illias and put the Rangers up 5-2.

The ThunderWolves then put in a huge rally, scoring five runs in the next inning and one more in the sixth to go up 8-5 over Regis.

In the bottom of the sixth frame, the Rangers put in a last effort to come away with victory number two.  Prescott walked to start things off and advanced around to third on a pair of groundouts.  With two outs, Sexton singled up the middle garnering her second RBI of the game.  Unfortunately the Rangers could not muster any more runs to keep the game going and were shutout in the seventh to put the final score at 8-6.

On the day, Wilcox led the team with a .500 average at the plate after going 4-8 with two homeruns, four RBIs and an impressive 1.250 slugging percentage.  An impressive output for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's past week Player of the Week.

Sexton collected two RBIs on a 3-7 output with two runs, a double and a .571 slugging while Bertulfo went 3-8 with one run.

The Rangers will continue the tripod tourney tomorrow at 12 p.m. against Colorado State-Pueblo and at 2 p.m. against Colorado Mesa.