LUBBOCK, Tex. – The No. 21 Regis University Ranger softball team split in the opening day of the 2016 season. Traveling nearly 600 miles to play in temperatures at least 20 degrees higher than in Denver, the Rangers easily defeated the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies in five innings 14-6 and battled from behind against the Lubbock Christian Lady Chaparrals but could not come out on top falling 6-4.

Against the Aggies, the Rangers tallied 14 to the board on 14 hits. In her first at bat of the season, Carlie Sexton, stepped up to the plate and blasted a two-run homerun to immediately put RU on the scoreboard 2-0. Two more runs came across from Rachel Illias and Alyssa Finger giving Regis a 4-0 lead after the first inning.

The bats continued swinging throughout the second and third as Regis came across a total of nine more times to hold a 13-0 lead over the Aggies after three innings of play. A late push by Oklahoma Panhandle brought six runs across, three each in the fourth and fifth, but the surge fell short as the Rangers had already scored enough to enforce the run-rule and end the game early.

Emily John led Regis in hits with three, one of which was a single-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth, and Sexton recorded a game-high four RBIs. Sexton, Finger, and Bradey King added two hits apiece as the Rangers combined for ten RBIs to outhit the Aggies 14-7.

Nicole Hull earned her first win of the season allowing no runs, just one hit, and tallying three strikeouts as she pitched in 3.2 innings. Rachel Jones, a freshman, saw the mound for the first time in a Ranger uniform recording two strikeouts in 1.1 innings pitched.

Against the Lady Chaps, Regis fell behind early due to a two-run homerun in the bottom of the second but quickly earned one back as Nicole Aviles singled through the left side to score Finger. The Rangers held Lubbock Christian scoreless until both teams made things interesting in the sixth.

On three hits, singles from John and King and a triple by Illias, RU took their first lead of the game 3-2, in the top of the sixth. The Lady Chaps responded with four hits in the bottom of six to take back the lead 4-3. It was then crunch time for Regis as Aviles stepped to the plate on two outs in the top of the seventh. She put one over the center field fence to tie the game, 4-4.

The Rangers came through to hold LCU scoreless on one hit in the bottom of the seventh to send it to extra innings. RU left two runners on-base in the top of the eighth as the score remained locked.

Regis could not hold off the Lady Chaps any longer as a two-run homerun over left center resulted in the eighth inning walk-off for the hosts as RU moved to an overall record of 1-1.

The Rangers, once again, outhit LCU 10-9 including a game-high three from Aviles. The difference in the game was the number of runners left on-base, RU with 12 to the Lady Chaps five. Aviles pitched all 7.1 innings and recorded six strikeouts to suffer the loss.

Regis will look to notch two more to the win column Saturday, January 30 at 11 a.m. against Midwestern State and 1:15 p.m. against Oklahoma Panhandle State.