DENVER – Moving its schedule earlier to avoid forecasted inclement weather, the Regis University baseball team made the most of its short rest and took both ends of its first doubleheader against Colorado Christian by scores of 13-1 and 12-4 at Regis Baseball Field on Wednesday.
 
How It Happened | Game 1: Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, senior infielder Brevin Owen smacked a double to right center to score sophomore infielder Matt Marlow from first for a 2-0 lead. Marlow singled through the left side to reach base. Marlow's run proved to be enough for the Rangers to claim victory in the doubleheader opener.
 
Regis tacked on a pair of runs in the third. As senior outfielder Kyle Koontz stole second, this allowed redshirt sophomore infielder Colten Chase to score from third for a 3-0 advantage. Chase led off the inning with a double to center.
 
While a successful pickoff took place later in the inning between first and second base, this allowed Koontz to reach home from third to take RU to a 4-0 lead.
 
Junior utility player Miguel Marquez banged an RBI triple to right center in the fourth, which sent freshman outfielder Levi Padilla home from second while growing the Rangers' advantage to 5-0. Padilla doubled to left center in the previous at-bat.
 
Marquez made the score, 6-0, later in the inning when he crossed home plate on sophomore infielder Austin Vaught's RBI sacrifice bunt.
 
Regis extended the lead to 7-0 in the fifth when senior catcher Roger Riley scored on Owen's RBI sacrifice fly to left. Riley opened the fifth with a double to left.
 
The shutout came to an end in the sixth, 7-1, when Cougars junior outfielder Frankie Shearn III, who tripled to left, scored on an RBI groundout to first by freshman infielder Caden Walton.
 
RU returned the lead to seven in the seventh, 8-1, on Koontz's run to home on a wild pitch. Koontz walked to start the seventh.
 
This all took place before the Rangers' biggest inning.

With the bases loaded in the eighth, freshman catcher Reagan Guthrie pinch hit and launched a grand slam to center, scoring sophomore utility player Amari Smith, Chase, and Riley from third, second, and first, respectively. Smith singled through the right side in a pinch-hit situation, while Chase and Riley were both hit by pitches. The grand slam gave Regis a commanding 12-1 lead.
 
The doubleheader opener reached its final score of 13-1 on Owen's run on a wild pitch. Owen tripled to right center to reach base.
 
Breaking a scoreless tie in the bottom of the first, Marlow singled through the left side to bring home Chase from second for a fast 1-0 Regis lead. Chase singled to center to open the inning and later stole second.
 
Game Notes: Guthrie went 1-for-1 with his grand slam and game-high four RBI. Chase had a 2-for-3 showing in the opener, including a double, while scoring a game-high three runs. Marlow also had a 2-for-3 opener at the plate, scoring one run and hitting in one RBI. Owen posted a 2-for-3 performance with the bat, consisting of a double and a triple, scored one run, and had two RBI and a walk. Marquez recorded a 2-for-4 result with the bat, including a triple, in addition to one run scored and an RBI. Junior pitcher Justin Kleinsorge (3-0) pitched 6.0 innings in which he only allowed one run and three hits while striking out nine in the victory.
 
How It Happened | Game 2: Leading 3-2 in the third, senior outfielder Ryan Tierney belted a three-run home run to right, bringing home Owen from second and senior catcher JT Stanley from first. The home run gave RU a cushioned, 6-2 lead. Owen was hit by a pitch and reached second on a wild pitch, and Stanley walked. Tierney's home run in the end was the game-winner as CCU could not overcome its deficit.
 
Once again, the Rangers saved their biggest inning for late. A six-run sixth grew Regis's run count twofold. This inning began on Vaught's run on an error following Chase's single for an RU 7-2 lead. Vaught doubled to right to reach base.
 
The scoring run ended after Stanley's RBI single to center, and this allowed senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman to score from second after he hit a two-RBI double in the previous at-bat. Zimmerman's run gave the Rangers a sizable 12-2 lead.
 
The Cougars presented a late challenge to Regis by scoring a pair of runs in the seventh. Senior outfielder/first baseman Sam Gallegos hit a sacrifice fly to left with the bases loaded, and this presented enough time for junior catcher Russell Cruz to score from third while cutting the Colorado Christian deficit to 12-3. Cruz hit a pinch-hit double down the left-field line to get on base.
 
Freshman catcher Luke Thompson, who drew a pinch-hit walk, also scored on a sacrifice fly from Walton that went to center. This brought the game to its eventual final score of 12-4.
 
The doubleheader closer had a different start than the opener with CCU taking an early lead on sophomore catcher Jordan Medina's RBI groundout to third to score Walton for a 1-0 lead. Walton had a game-opening single to center.
 
Senior infielder Connor Marschall's RBI single to left to score sophomore infielder/right-handed pitcher Wyatt Crenshaw from second doubled the lead to 2-0 in the first.
 
RU's deficit-erasing effort began in the bottom half of the inning. Marlow's single to the pitcher allowed Chase and senior utility player Thomas Alexander to score from third and second, respectively, to tie the game, 2-2. Chase doubled to left to lead off the inning, and Alexander doubled to center.
 
Owen then doubled to right center to allow Marlow to reach home while breaking the tie, 3-2.
 
Game Notes: Marlow finished the day with a 2-for-3 performance in which he had two runs scored and two RBI. Chase closed the day with a 2-for-4 showing, including a double, and he scored two runs. Zimmerman also ended the doubleheader closer with a 2-for-4 outcome at the plate, including a double, while scoring a run and registering two RBI. Tierney had a 1-for-4 result with the bat, including his three-run home run to give him a game-high three RBI. Senior pitcher Adam Hubley (1-0) earned the win by throwing 5.0 innings, giving up just two runs and four hits while striking out seven. Freshman pitcher Logan Deskin struck out the side in the sixth, which represented his one inning of work.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The Rangers improve to a 10-0 record overall, which is their best start in program history. Regis returns to Regis Baseball Field for another doubleheader to close out its series with the Cougars (3-6, 2-4 RMAC) on Thursday with start times of 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.