DENVER – Riding the tide of its best start in program history, the Regis University baseball team fell in its second doubleheader opener against Colorado Christian, 11-10, before capping the series and the doubleheader on a high note with an 11-1 win at Regis Baseball Field on Thursday.
 
How It Happened | Game 1: With the Cougars leading, 9-7, in the top of the eighth inning, senior infielder Connor Marschall hit a two-RBI single, which also turned into a groundout, to score senior outfielder Blake Mattey from second and junior catcher Jordan Medina from first to give Colorado Christian an 11-7 lead, which proved too much to overcome for the Rangers. Mattey singled to third, and Medina singled to center.
 
A considerable effort by Regis to climb back into the contest followed in the bottom half of the eighth. An RBI sacrifice fly to right by senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman allowed redshirt sophomore infielder Colten Chase, who doubled to right center to open the inning, to score from third to trim the deficit to 11-8.
 
RU cut the deficit to a run, 11-10, on sophomore infielder Matt Marlow's two-run home run to center. Marlow brought home senior catcher Roger Riley, who singled to first on a bunt, from first.
 
CCU scored first in the opening frame. Marschall doubled down the right-field line to score Mattey from third for an early 1-0 lead. Mattey reached first on a fielder's choice.
 
The Rangers scored most of their runs in the first. This four-run first began on Riley's game-tying run, 1-1, which happened on Marlow's RBI single to right. Riley reached base by singling up the middle.
 
Regis took the lead, 3-1, on senior catcher JT Stanley's two-RBI single down the left-field line, scoring senior outfielder Kyle Koontz from third and Marlow from second. Koontz singled to first.
 
Senior infielder Mitch Albin, who walked, brought RU to a 4-1 lead upon reaching home on a wild pitch.
 
The Rangers led by as many as four in the third, 5-1, when junior utility player Miguel Marquez's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right sent Marlow home. Marlow had an inning-opening single to center.
 
Regis later reached a run total of seven in the sixth when Marlow doubled to center to score Riley, who singled to left, from first. RU led by a score of 7-5 at that point.
 
The Cougars then knotted the score at 7-7 in the seventh when senior utility player/right-handed pitcher Tommy Orr knocked a two-RBI single to right. This allowed Mattey to come home from third, and Medina to score from second. Mattey singled to third, and Medina reached base without getting a hit.
 
Colorado Christian proceeded to take the lead, 9-7, on sophomore infielder/right-handed pitcher Wyatt Crenshaw's two-run home run to right. This credited freshman infielder Caden Walton with a run, and he reached base on a fielder's choice.
 
Game Notes: Marlow began the day with a 4-for-5 performance, including a home run and double, scoring a share of the game-high three runs and a game-high four RBI. Riley had a 3-for-5 showing and scored a share of the game-high three runs. Stanley posted a 3-for-5 result at the plate, including a triple, recording one run scored and two RBI. Senior outfielder Ryan Tierney turned in a 2-for-3 margin with the bat and registered an RBI. Sophomore pitcher Porter Hardcastle threw 4.2 innings in the no-decision in which he gave up four runs (two earned), four hits, and five walks while striking out four.
 
How It Happened | Game 2: Maintaining a 1-0 lead in the first, Marlow connected an RBI groundout to second that allowed Koontz, who tripled to right center, to touch home from third. This provided the Rangers a 2-0 lead, which Regis maintained and cushioned for the rest of the doubleheader closer.
 
CCU put a run on the board in the sixth. Mattey, who doubled down the right-field line, later scored from third when sophomore infielder Andrew Lloyd grounded to shortstop into a double play. This brought the Cougars' deficit down to 7-1.
 
However, RU added four insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Marlow started things off by looping an RBI single down the right-field line to score freshman outfielder Levi Padilla, who walked, from second while bringing the Rangers to an 8-1 lead.
 
Marlow and junior catcher Ryan Hutchinson, who was on third and reached base on a pinch-hit single down the right-field line, both came home on senior infielder Brevin Owen's two-RBI triple to right center. This hit gave Regis a 10-1 advantage.
 
Owen scored the game's final run from third on a wild pitch for RU's 11-1 win.
 
The Rangers jumped on the board first, 1-0, in the opening inning on Koontz's RBI triple to right center, which scored Riley from first. Riley walked to reach base.
 
Game Notes: Owen closed the series with a 3-for-3 performance, including a triple, accumulating two runs scored, a game-high three RBI, and a walk. Koontz finished with a 2-for-3 outcome at the plate and had two runs scored and an RBI. Marlow came away with a 2-for-4 showing with the bat, including a double, recording two runs scored and two RBI. Senior utility player Thomas Alexander (2-0) pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in the win in which he only allowed three hits and a walk while striking out five.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis moves to an 11-1 record overall and a 7-1 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. RU next goes on the road to face Adams State (1-5, 0-2 RMAC) at ASU Baseball Field, where the Rangers will commence their four-game series with the Grizzlies on Friday, March 19, at 3 p.m.