ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Regis University baseball team finished its four-game series with a powerful offensive performance to defeat Adams State, 33-16, at ASU Baseball Field on Sunday.
 
"It was a good experience and learning weekend for our guys," said Regis University Head Baseball Coach Drew LaComb. "I am proud that they found a way to win the series and how our offense responded on Sunday. We still have some areas to work on and get better at, but this week will be a great opportunity for us to work on those things."
 
How It Happened: Already up, 15-1, in the third inning, senior utility player Thomas Alexander doubled to center to score sophomore infielder Austin Vaught from third and redshirt sophomore infielder Colten Chase from second to give the Rangers a 17-1 lead. Despite sizable threats from the Grizzlies late in the contest, this lead was sufficient enough to win the game and the series.
 
Alexander then scored senior outfielder Kyle Koontz's double to center to extend the lead to 18-1.
 
The inning ended not long after senior infielder Mitch Albin's pinch-hit RBI single up the middle to score Koontz from second for a 19-1 advantage.
 
Four more runs followed in the fifth for Regis. This stretch began when Vaught scored on a wild pitch for a 20-1 Regis lead. The stretch closed on senior infielder Brevin Owen's two-run home run to center that also scored Albin, who walked. Owen's home run took RU to a 23-1 lead.
 
The Grizzlies posted a couple runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Junior catcher/third baseman Cedrick Reynaud's ground-rule double to left with sophomore middle infielder Nathan Hield on second and sophomore outfielder Paul Giglio on first allowed Hield, who reached on a fielder's choice, to score for a 23-2 Adams State deficit. Giglio, who walked, scored on freshman left-handed pitcher/first baseman Matt Bathauer's RBI groundout to second for a 23-3 score.
 
The Rangers had their second-biggest inning in the sixth with seven runs. This length of runs came to be on Vaught's RBI single through the left side that scored redshirt junior outfielder McKay Banks from second and advanced freshman catcher Reagan Guthrie to second. Banks and Guthrie were both hit by pitches. Banks' run moved Regis to a 24-3 lead.
 
A single by Banks through the left side to score junior utility player Miguel Marquez concluded the scoring for RU in the inning to give the Rangers a considerable 30-3 advantage.
 
ASU answered with a run in the back half of the frame, 30-4, on junior outfielder Chase Dixon's RBI groundout to shortstop that provided enough time to score sophomore middle infielder Brody Bettis from third. Bettis pinch-ran for freshman middle infielder Jace Wytulka, who tripled to center.
 
After each team picked up a run in the seventh, Regis registered its last two in the eighth. Marquez, who singled up the middle to open the inning, scored from third on Guthrie's RBI double to right. Guthrie later scored from third on freshman infielder Braxton Boyle's RBI double down the left-field line. Guthrie's run put RU up by a score of 33-5.
 
However, the Grizzlies saved their biggest innings for last. Adams State's four-run eighth kicked off with sophomore catcher/first baseman Chris Hamilton's two-RBI, bases-loaded single to center, which scored Bettis from third and freshman middle infielder Ryan Downs from second. Bettis walked, and Downs was hit by a pitch. Downs' run took ASU to a 33-7 deficit.
 
Hamilton's run would put the lid on the inning, 33-9, when he scored from first on freshman third baseman/catcher Mike Bathauer's RBI triple to right.
 
The Grizzlies did not finish quietly as they scored seven runs in their final inning. Hamilton started the inning with a two-RBI, bases-loaded single to center, scoring Bettis and Downs from third and second, respectively. Bettis singled to shortstop, and Downs hit a ground-rule double down the left-field line. Downs' run made the score, 33-11.
 
After Mike Bathauer's bases-clearing double to left center that brought Adams State to a 33-14 deficit, Bettis then singled to right center with the bases loaded to score Mike Bathauer from third and junior outfielder/third baseman Thomas Lyall from second to trim the deficit to 33-16. Lyall walked to get on base. Fortunately for the Rangers, ASU did not score another run after that.
 
Regis wasted little time getting on the board first. Chase and Alexander scored the first two runs of an eventual 10-run first inning for RU on Koontz's double to left center for a fast, 2-0 lead. Chase led off with a ground-rule double down the left-field line, and Alexander walked.
 
Alexander was then responsible for a huge highlight of the first inning. Already up by a score of 5-0, Alexander pounded a grand slam to center field to bring home Guthrie, Vaught, and Chase from third, second, and first, respectively, for a 9-0 advantage. Guthrie had an RBI single up the middle, Vaught hit an RBI single to shortstop, and Chase singled to second.
 
The opening inning was capped off by Owen's RBI single to right, which scored Koontz, who walked, from second for the Rangers' 10-0 lead after a half-inning of play.
 
Regis packed three more runs in the second. With Guthrie on second and Vaught on first, Chase knocked a ground-rule double to right center to bring home Guthrie for an 11-0 advantage. Guthrie singled to left center, and Vaught, who singled to the pitcher, advanced to third.
 
Vaught and Chase then scored on Alexander's two-RBI single to left for a 13-0 RU lead.
 
The Grizzlies cut their deficit by a run in the second, 13-1, when junior right-handed pitcher/first baseman Orlando Romero singled through the right side to score Matt Bathauer from third. Matt Bathauer had an inning-opening double down the right-field line and reached third on the throw.
 
The Rangers tacked on six more runs in the third. This span of runs started on senior outfielder Ryan Tierney's solo home run to left for a 14-1 lead.
 
With senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman on second and Vaught on first, Zimmerman scored on a fielding error after the ball was put in play by Chase for a 15-1 advantage.
 
Game Notes: Vaught closed the series with a 5-for-7 performance with a share of the game-high five runs scored and two RBI. Guthrie claimed a 4-for-6 day at the plate, including a double, and recorded four runs scored and two RBI. Alexander had a quality 3-for-4 outcome with the bat, coming just a triple away from the cycle, to go along with three runs scored, a game-high eight RBI, and a walk. Chase registered a 3-for-5 showing at the plate, including two doubles, in addition to a share of the game-high five runs scored and two RBI. Sophomore pitcher Porter Hardcastle (1-0) pitched 6.0 innings during which he gave up four runs, eight hits, and three walks while striking out seven in the win.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis climbs to a 14-2 record overall and a 10-2 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. RU will face Adams State (2-8, 1-5 RMAC) again when it begins a pod hosted by No. 2 Colorado Mesa (12-2, 9-1 RMAC) at Suplizio Field on Friday at 2:30 p.m., and this will be followed by a game against the Mavericks of CMU at 6:05 p.m.