COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Regis University baseball team played its first pair of games in Colorado for the 2020 season and split its non-conference doubleheader against No. 23 Colorado School of Mines at Mountain Lion Park on Sunday, losing the first game, 12-11, before closing out with an 11-3 victory.

How It Happened | Game 1: With the Rangers clinging onto a slim 11-10 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, Orediggers redshirt sophomore outfielder Jason Hall belted the game-tying home run over the left-field wall for an 11-11 score. 

Later on with the score deadlocked in an 11-11 tie and the bases loaded, Colorado School of Mines freshman pitcher/infielder Ben Schoneman sent a sacrifice fly ball to left field. This allowed junior outfielder/pitcher Toby Scoles to score the game-winning run from third.

Regis struck first on the scoreboard in the top of the opening inning. A sacrifice fly by junior infielder Brevin Owen to center allowed junior infielder Marcus Salvato to tag from third for a quick 1-0 lead. Salvato singled through the left side to get on base. 

A single from senior outfielder Ryan Tierney brought freshman infielder Matt Marlow home to double the lead, 2-0, in the first. Marlow reached base on a single through the right side.

CSM answered with four runs in the first. Redshirt junior outfielder Trevor Howard singled up the middle to start things off, allowing junior outfielder Alex Bumpus, who also singled up the middle, to score.

This preceded a go-ahead, three-run home run to left center by Scoles, who gave the Orediggers a 4-2 lead after one inning of play.

Down 6-3 in the fourth, RU had a huge eight-run surge. The Rangers reacquired the lead, 7-6, on senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman's two-RBI single through the left side, scoring redshirt freshman infielder Colten Chase and Marlow from third and second, respectively.

The fourth inning was highlighted by Tierney's grand slam to center, growing the Regis lead to 11-6. Owen, Zimmerman and Marlow were all on base when Tierney went deep.

Game Notes: Tierney went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a game-high five RBI. Salvato had a hit, scored two runs, and walked once. Marlow also recorded a hit, two scored runs, and one walk in addition to one RBI. Zimmerman posted one hit, one run scored, two RBI, and one walk. 

How It Happened | Game 2: Maintaining a considerable 3-0 lead in the top of the third, Marlow doubled to right center to bring Salvato home for a 4-0 RU advantage. This would be all the Rangers would need. Salvato singled to left field to get on base.

Owen added to the lead, 5-0, on a sacrifice fly to center, and this allowed Marlow to score from third.

Senior catcher Kennedy Phillips capped the Regis offense in the third with an RBI single to center, scoring Tierney from second for a 6-0 lead. Tierney singled to right center and stole second.

Colorado School of Mines ended the shutout in the bottom half of the third. Sophomore catcher Noah Kuzma kicked off the CSM end with a double to left center. Kuzma later scored on sophomore infielder Caden Bonds's triple to right field to cut into the RU lead, 6-1. Bonds made the score, 6-2, upon scoring off of sophomore infielder Danny McDermott's RBI groundout to shortstop.

Following four straight innings of scoreless ball, the Rangers grew their lead to 7-2 in the eighth on Phillips's RBI single up the middle, which brought Owen home after he doubled to right center to begin the inning. The score became 8-2 when Phillips crossed home plate on freshman infielder Austin Vaught's double down the right-field line.

Three more runs came in the ninth for Regis on Tierney's three-run home run with Marlow on second and junior infielder/pitcher Thomas Alexander on first from a walk. Marlow singled to left and stole second. 

The Orediggers managed to trim their deficit by one, 11-3, on Scoles's solo home run to right field in the ninth.

RU acquired its lead in the second inning. A double by Phillips down the right-field line, with Owen on second and Tierney on first, brought Owen home for a 1-0 lead. Vaught followed up with a two-RBI single up the middle to bring home both Tierney and Phillips for a 3-0 lead.

Game Notes: Phillips had three hits, three RBI, and two runs scored. Tierney had two hits, three RBI, three runs scored, and a walk. Salvato was credited with two hits and one run scored, while Marlow had three hits, two runs scored, and one RBI. Sophomore pitcher Justin Kleinsorge (2-0) pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two runs, seven hits and one walk, while striking out five in the win.

Up Next for the Rangers: The split moves the Rangers to a 2-6 record overall. Regis goes on the road for a non-conference road test when it takes on Washburn (6-5) at Falley Field in a four-game series, starting on Friday at 2 p.m. MT.