GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Regis University Rangers (20-18, 12-12 RMAC) dropped a 2-1 fight with the No. 6 Colorado Mesa University Mavericks (24-10, 5-6 RMAC) on Friday night.
How It Happened: The Rangers got their first base runner and first run in the top of the third inning. Sophomore
Coby Zimmerman reached base on an infield single and advanced to second base on a
Marcus Salvato SAC-bunt. Senior
Chris Kobar and junior
Connor Rochon reached base via a hit-by-pitch and a walk respectively, loading the basses with two outs.
Senior
Garrett Skillings hit an RBI-single, scoring Zimmerman and giving RU a 1-0 lead in the third. Kobar tried to make it home on the same play but was thrown out by the second baseman.
Colorado Mesa threatened with a runner on third in the bottom of the third, but Senior
Brad Thoutt as able to retire two straight batters on strikes to get out of the inning. However, the Mavericks evened the game at one with one run on two hits and a walk in the fourth inning.
CMU took the lead, 2-1, in the sixth inning, scoring one run on two hits, an error, and a walk.
Senior
Andrew Bryniarski recorded his tenth double of the season with a lead-off double in the top of the seventh inning. Regis was unable to move Bryniarski around the bases as the next three batters were retired in order.
The closet the Rangers got to forcing extra innings occurred in the eighth inning. Kobar was in scoring position, at second, thanks to a single and a wild pitch.
Game Notes: The RU defense surrendered their first hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Regis allowed just six hits the entire game.
Kobar and Bryniarski combined for 19 of the teams' 24 putouts. Kobar contributed12 putouts and two assists as Bryniarski added seven putouts. The Rangers committed just one error.
Thoutt (7-3) accounted for a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven complete innings on Friday night. He allowed just two runs on five hits while on 128 total pitches.
Junior
Matt Heibult faced four batters in the bottom of the eigth and forced two fly-outs and a groundout.
RU laid down six hits, all by different batters, and CMU matched them with six hits of their own.
Bryniarski was the only Regis batter to hit a double.
Up Next for the Rangers: The Regis University baseball team will play the Mavericks in a double header beginning at 1 p.m. tomorrow, April 14.