DENVER – The Regis University baseball team doubled the length of its present winning streak while attaining a winning record for the first time in the 2020 campaign as the Rangers took both the opener and closer of its doubleheader against Northern State by scores of 6-3 and 5-4, respectively, at Regis Baseball Field on Saturday.
 
Game 1 | How It Happened: Holding a 3-0 lead in the fourth, senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman singled to shortstop with senior outfielder Ryan Tierney on second. On the throw, Tierney rounded third and scored for a Rangers' 4-0 advantage that proved to be all Regis would need in the doubleheader opener. Tierney doubled to left center to get on base.
 
The Wolves ended the shutout in the top of the fifth, 4-1, when redshirt sophomore catcher Spencer Sarringar scored on a throwing error from the catcher. Sarringar singled to right field before advancing to second on a fielding error.
 
RU expanded its lead in the bottom half of the fifth on junior infielder Brevin Owen's two-RBI double to center that brought home junior outfielder Kyle Koontz from third and freshman infielder Austin Vaught from second for a 6-1 lead. Koontz singled through the left side, and Vaught singled to right field earlier in the frame.
 
Northern State put up a fight in the seventh when a bases-loaded walk to redshirt sophomore shortstop Isaiah Chevalier forced Sarringar to home from third, trimming the Rangers' lead to 6-2. Sarringar doubled to right to open the inning.
 
In the next at-bat, junior outfielder Connor Burgess flied out to left field, allowing redshirt sophomore infielder Zachery Lanier, who pinch hit and walked to reach first, to tag from third and score. Lanier's run brought the game to its final margin. 
 
Regis wasted little time getting on the board in the first. Koontz tripled to open the inning, and Vaught hit an RBI single to center to score Koontz for a quick 1-0 lead. 
 
Junior infielder/pitcher Thomas Alexander tripled the lead, 3-0, on his two-RBI double down the left-field line that scored Vaught from third and freshman infielder Matt Marlow from second. Marlow singled through the left side earlier in the inning.
 
Game Notes: Koontz and Vaught each had 2-for-3 performances with the bat as well as two runs scored. Koontz had a triple, while Vaught had an RBI. Owen went 1-for-3 with a double and a share of the game-high two RBI, while Alexander matched Owen for the game-high two RBI and had a 1-for-2 showing at the plate, including a double. Alexander additionally had a walk. Tierney also had a double, going 1-for-3, and scored a run. Junior pitcher Adam Hubley (1-1) pitched 6.0 innings in which he allowed three runs (two earned), five hits, and two walks, while striking out four in the win for RU. Senior pitcher Tyce O'Neill earned his second save on the year, pitching 0.1 innings in which he allowed no runs, no hits, and no walks.
 
Game 2 | How It Happened: Maintaining a narrow 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth, redshirt sophomore outfielder McKay Banks singled to left, giving Zimmerman the opportunity he needed to score from second to grow the Rangers' advantage to 5-3, a lead that would prove just big enough to win over NSU.
 
The Wolves managed to come within a run of Regis, 5-4, on redshirt freshman third baseman Reece Ragatz's solo home run to center. Fortunately, the scoring threat did not get any larger than that for RU.
 
The Rangers jumped on the board in the bottom of the first, 1-0, when Koontz scored on a throwing error from second. Koontz was hit by a pitch and later stole second.
 
Northern State claimed the lead in the top of the second. The scoring run started on Ragatz's RBI groundout to shortstop, which brought redshirt freshman shortstop Jack Paulson home from third for a 1-1 tie. Paulson opened the inning with a double to right center.
 
A Burgess two-RBI double to right center followed, and this allowed redshirt junior infielder Ben Carolin on second and Chevalier on first to score for the go-ahead, 3-1 lead. Carolin was hit by a pitch, and Chevalier hit a bunt single to reach base.
 
Regis tied the game up in the back end of the second, 3-3, on two solo home runs. These came on account of junior catcher Roger Riley's homer to left center and redshirt freshman infielder Colten Chase's dinger to left.
 
RU retook the lead, 4-3, in the fourth with Banks's RBI double to right center, bringing Alexander home from second. Alexander started the inning with a walk.
 
Game Notes: Banks went 2-for-3, including a double, and had a share of the game-high two RBI. Riley (1-for-2) and Chase (1-for-3) both homered and were each credited with a run scored and an RBI. Koontz went 1-for-2, scored one run, walked once, and stole the only base of the game. Junior pitcher Colin King (1-2) earned his first win of the season with his 5.0 innings of work in which he allowed three runs, five hits, and one walk, while striking out six. Junior pitcher Nolan Ruff was credited with his first save of the season, pitching 1.0 inning in which he allowed one run, two hits, and one walk, while striking out one.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The Rangers improve to a 7-6 record overall. Regis concludes its four-game series with the Wolves (0-5) at Regis Baseball Field on Sunday at 11 a.m.