IRVINE, Calif. – The Regis University baseball team closed out its road series against Concordia Irvine University with a 7-5 win at Eagles Field on Sunday.
 
How It Happened: With the Rangers holding onto a 5-3 lead in the top of the sixth, redshirt sophomore outfielder McKay Banks drilled a solo home run over the left-field wall to bring Regis to a 6-3 advantage. This gave RU enough runs to outlast the Eagles.
 
Concordia did add a run in the bottom half of the inning when junior infielder Philip Quartararo doubled to right center to bring home senior first baseman/outfielder Bailey Collins from third to trim the Rangers lead to 6-4. Collins doubled two batters earlier.
 
Regis added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when redshirt freshman infielder Colten Chase crossed home plate after stealing third and taking advantage of an error by the catcher. Chase's run gave Regis a 7-4 lead.
 
CUI cut into the lead, 7-5, in the eighth on account of Collins's RBI single up the middle, which allowed senior infielder Cooper Moore to score an unearned run. Moore reached base on an error and stole second.
 
Unlike the previous games in the series, this one started with a lot of runs. A single by freshman infielder Matt Marlow started things off for RU. This was later followed by an RBI single from junior outfielder Kyle Koontz, which allowed Marlow to score from second for a 1-0 lead.
 
Senior outfielder Ryan Tierney brought junior infielder/pitcher Thomas Alexander and Koontz home with a two-RBI single up the middle, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead. Alexander singled to right field after Marlow's single.
 
The Eagles evened the score in the bottom of the first with three unearned runs. Senior infielder Haloa Dudoit scored on a wild pitch to end the shutout, 1-0. Dudoit reached base on a bunt and error.
 
Collins later grounded out to second but allowed senior outfielder/pitcher Matt Lautz to score from third. Lautz had a bunt single and proceeded to steal second before reaching third on the aforementioned wild pitch.
 
Moore, who made it to first on a hit-by-pitch, scored the tying run, 3-3, on freshman outfielder Shane Schick's RBI single to right.   
Regis retook the lead, 4-3, in the third on Tierney's fielder's choice RBI, which allowed Chase to touch home plate. Chase singled to left to start the inning.
 
RU doubled its lead, 5-3, in the fifth when Tierney singled through the left side to bring Alexander to home from scoring position. Alexander singled to shortstop and stole second to get into scoring position.
 
Game Notes: Tierney (2 H, 4 RBI, 1 SB) had a game-high four RBI. Alexander (2 H, 2 R, 1 SB) had a share of the game-high two runs scored. Chase (1 H, 2 R, 2 SB) matched Alexander for runs scored and claimed a share of the game-high two stolen bases. Koontz (1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) was one of two Rangers players with a run scored and an RBI. Banks (1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR) had RU's only home run. Marlow (1 H, 1 R, 1 BB) was one of five Regis players with a run scored and a hit. Sophomore pitcher Justin Kleinsorge (1-0) pitched five innings in which he gave up three runs (all unearned), three hits, and one walk while striking out four in the win. Senior pitcher Tyce O'Neill earned his first save of the season upon pitching 1.2 scoreless innings in which he allowed only one hit and struck out three.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: RU improves to a 1-3 record overall. The Rangers return to Colorado to play on the road at Colorado School of Mines (5-2) in a non-conference game at Jim Darden Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.