ALAMOSA, Colo. – After an unexpected hiatus due to weather last weekend, the Regis University Ranger softball team was back in action in a pod series against the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions and the Adams State Grizzlies. In the first game, it was all Regis as they defeated the Mountain Lions 9-1 in six innings but a mental mistake in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Grizzlies over RU 6-5 in the second.

Game 1: Regis 9 UC-Colorado Springs 1 (6 innings)

After the first inning of play, the score remained locked at 0-0 but the Rangers kicked it into gear in the bottom of the second. The lead-off, Alyssa Finger, tripled to right field and scored on the very next at bat off a single to right by Carlie Sexton.

Ashley Prescott, on no outs, opened the flood gates as she notched her second home run of her career over the centerfield fence. That three-run shot gave Regis a 4-0 lead. A single-run homerun by UCCS in the top of the fourth would end up being their only of the game.

On four hits in the bottom of the fourth, RU extended their lead to 7-1 with Bradey King and Macy Cox recording RBIs. The Rangers enforced the run rule in the bottom of the sixth as Prescott scored Delany McGinn on a sacrifice fly to be followed by Cox scoring King on a single to right.

Regis outhit the Mountain Lions 12-2 led by multiple Rangers that faired well at the plate. Prescott went 2-for-2 tallying a career-high four RBIs, two runs, and a sacrifice fly. McGinn was also perfect in the box going 3-for-3 and scoring three runs. Cox added a 2-for-4 performance as the designated player tallying three RBIs of her own.  

Stellar pitching from Nicole Aviles allowed one run on just two hits while sitting down seven batters. Aviles improved to an overall record of 8-6 in the 9-1 Regis domination of the Mountain Lions.

Game 2: Adams State 6 Regis 5 (9 innings)

On singles from Emily John and Nicole Hull, a double by McGinn, and a triple from Rachel Illias, the Rangers picked up where they left off opening the first inning up putting three on the board. Adams State responded in the bottom half of the inning with a four-spot to take a 4-3 lead.

An unusual error in the bottom of the fifth from Regis allowed the Grizzlies to extend their lead 5-3. With the game on the line and RU in desperate need of some offensive production, King doubled to left field to score Cox and Michelle Larose to lock the score at 5-5. RU shutout ASU in the bottom of the seventh sending the game to extras.

Both teams went one, two, three in the top and bottom of the eighth when Leah Gordon reached first on a single to left. Gordon would then advance two bases to third on an error by the first baseman but the Rangers could not convert as the score remained 5-5 heading into what would be the last half inning of the game.

Another RU error on two outs resulted in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Regis moves to an overall record of 17-16 and 12-10 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. A fairly even box score saw ASU slightly outhit the Rangers 10-9. Hull pitched through all nine innings for Regis as she struck out a season-high nine batters. 

Regis is in action again tomorrow opening with the Grizzlies at 10 a.m. and following with the Mountain Lions at 12 p.m.