DENVER, Colo. – With elimination at stake, the Regis University baseball team pulled together an all-around team effort to defeat the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions in a thrilling 13-inning 9-7 victory.

Over four hours of baseball was played to get the win. Patrick Kenny pitched in the final five innings to lift the Rangers over the Mountain Lions and live to see another day in the RMAC Tournament.

How It Happened: The Mountain Lions took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first taking advantage of a wild pitch. The Rangers turned a double play, Logan Heflebower to Max Fabricant to Andrew Bryniarski to get out of the inning.

Bryniarski notched Regis' first hit of the game in the top of the second on a lead-off single to right field. He advanced to second in a Heflebower groundout and Christian Bitar knocked an RBI-single to left center to score Bryniarski and even things back up at 1-1.

Still in the top of the second, on two outs, Kennedy Phillips gave the Rangers their first lead of the game at 3-1 blasting a two-run shot over the right field fence.

However, UCCS turned two runs of their own in the bottom of the second to lock the score at 3-3. With bases loaded, on two outs, RU made a pitching change calling Matt Heibult from the bullpen. Heibult struck out the next batter to get the Rangers out of the inning.

The lead exchanged hands yet again in the bottom of the fourth on a Mountain Lion home run. Down 4-3, Max Fabricant hit a solo home run of his own to left field tying the score for the third time of the game at 4-4.

The Rangers forced a UCCS pitching change in the top of the seventh after Phillips and Fabricant drew walks. In the very next at bat after the change, Josh Newell was hit by pitch to load the bases. Coby Zimmerman, pinch running for Phillips, scored on a wild pitch to give RU a 5-4 lead. Garrett Skillings followed that up with a two-RBI double to left center extending the Regis lead to 7-4. With just one out, the Mountain Lions quickly made another pitching change but were able to close out the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, UCCS began to close in on the Rangers scoring two more to come within one, 7-6. With two outs, RU made their second pitching change calling Adam Montano to the mound. Montano secured the last out of the inning on a strikeout as Regis continued to hold a one-run lead.
RU loaded the bases yet again in the top of the ninth but the Mountain Lions were able to get out of the inning once again. With the final half inning of play remaining, Regis made one more pitching change going to Patrick Kenny.

Kenny gave up a lead-off double to left center but sat down the next batter on a strikeout. The next batter hit a single to left field to bring the tying run across the plate. The score tied at 7-7 for the fourth time as Kenny forced a pop up and tallied another strikeout to send the game to extras.

The Rangers had another bases loaded opportunity in the top of the 11^th after back-to-back singles from Fabricant and Newell. Skillings moved the runners around on a sacrifice bunt and UCCS intentionally walked Bryniarski for the ease of the force out. RU was unable to convert as they left bases loaded for the second time in the game.

In the 13^th inning, Fabricant reached first base on a single through the left side and moved around to third on a Newell double that drop near the left field foul line. RU loaded the bases and converted this time around. Bryniarski hit a single to left field that scored both Fabricant and Newell to give Regis a 9-7 lead.

Heflebower suffered the sacrifice bunt placing one down the third base line to move runners over to second and third. The Mountain Lions went to their fourth pitcher of the day who forced the Rangers to leave runners stranded yet again.

In the bottom of the 13^th, UCCS came within one, 9-8, on a ground out to Heflebower who went to first for the second out. Kenny secured the final out of the game on another ground out as the rest of the team charged the mound in celebration.

Game Notes: Newell led the Rangers at the plate going 3-for-4, including a double, with two runs and one walk. Fabricant added a 3-for-5 performance with three runs, an RBI and a walk. Fabricant and Phillips each recorded home runs combining for four runs and three RBIs between the two of them. RU moves to 6-0 in games that went into extra innings this season. Five Rangers recorded sacrifice hits. Regis was slightly outhit 15-12 while leaving 13 runners on base and forcing UCCS to leave 15.

Up Next For The Rangers: Regis is back in action against the loser of No. 2 Colorado Mines and No. 3 MSU Denver on Friday, May 12^th at 3:30 p.m. The Colorado Mines/MSU Denver game is the night game Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m.