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Box Score 2 LUBBOCK, Tex.- The #21 Regis Ranger softball team closes their opening weekend of competition with a 4-2 record after splitting their last two games of the Lubbock Christian Tournament today. They first took Midwestern St. into extra innings after trailing and won 9-8. Then the Rangers rallied in the top of the seventh against Lubbock Christian, but ultimately came up just short with a result of 5-4.
During their morning match-up with Midwestern St., the Rangers allowed the Mustangs to jump out to a 3-0 lead before finally answering with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Jr. Carlie Sexton got caught in a pickle between first and second base and got tagged out, but not without cause; So. Emily John crossed the plate to put the Rangers on the board. Later in the inning, Sr. Nicole Hull scored from second base thanks to a Jr. Alyssa Finger double to right field.
The fourth inning replicated the third inning scoring with the Mustangs putting one run on the board in the top half and the Rangers answered with two more runs tying up the game. Fr. Michelle Larose and So. Melissa Heronema each scored on a series of errors made by the Mustangs.
In the top of the fifth inning, Midwestern St. exploded for four runs, but that would be the last time they would score for the remainder of the game. Finger scored on a Jr. Leah Gordon single to put the game at 8-5.
Next, in the sixth inning Regis continued to close in on the Mustang lead. So. Breana Pearsall scored on a Jr. Bradey King single which also moved John over to second base. John later on scored off of a Hull sacrifice fly to right field.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rangers were in danger of falling short in their come back attempt with two outs already recorded. That is until Sr. Ashley Prescott reached home when Fr. Macy Cox hit a single through the right side. The Mustangs got their final out, but the game was headed to an eighth inning tied up at eight a piece.
In the bottom half of the eighth the Rangers took little time to finish off the game when Sexton singled to right field and John took an easy stroll from third to home winning 9-8.
Regis had to reboot quickly with the first pitch of their second game of the day coming just minutes after their come back win.
The tournament hosts, Lubbock Christian, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and added another in the second. Down 3-0, the Rangers started another come back effort in the third scoring one run. It was the John-Sexton duo that helped the Rangers score again with Sexton putting a hit through the right side and John reached home from second base.
The fourth and fifth innings saw Regis score one run each to tie up the game at 3-3. Hull hit her first home run of the season in the fourth and Prescott crossed home when King singled through the left side in the fifth.
The Lady Chaps took back the lead putting two more runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run home run. The Rangers nearly pulled off another come back with Prescott scoring in the seventh. Unfortunately, the Lady Chaps got King and Sexton to strike out swinging to end the game.
John lead the Rangers scoring four total runs on the day, Prescott crossed the plate three total times, and seven other Rangers each scored once. Hull won the first game of the day and dropped the last to put her pitching record at 3-1 for the season.
Next up for the Ranger squad is the Desert Stinger Classic next weekend in Las Vegas, Nev. They will face Hawai'i Hilo and Central Washington on Friday, Feb. 5th. On the 6th, California Baptist and Concordia (Cal.) will take on the Rangers. Then the weekend will be wrapped up with a single match-up with Western Washington on the 7th.
