DENVER – Facing a six-game skid, the bats of the Regis University baseball team came alive in the second doubleheader to close a four-game series at No. 21 Metropolitan State University of Denver, which the Rangers defeated, 13-7, upon overcoming a late two-run deficit in the opener before falling in the closer, 5-2, at Assembly Complex on Saturday.

"I thought our guys played hard and played the game the right way all weekend," said Regis University Head Baseball Coach Drew LaComb. "We didn't get the results that we wanted, but I saw progress in the way we play the game from a program standpoint.  

"We still have some things to improve on from this weekend, but the big positive is the come-from-behind win in the first game Saturday. We have a tough, competitive group this year, and they are going to continue to compete until the game is over. It was huge for our program to be able to find a way to win late in that game. We have a big week ahead of us, and our guys are looking forward to getting back out on the field."

How It Happened | Game 1: With the game tied at 7-7 and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, senior outfielder Kyle Koontz sent a single up the middle that scored senior outfielders Andy Beyene and Ryan Tierney from third and second, respectively, for a 9-7 lead. Beyene's run was all Regis would need going forward, but RU kept adding insurance runs.
 
The Rangers later led by a score of 11-7 when freshman infielder Braxton Boyle singled to left center, allowing sophomore infielder Matt Marlow to touch home from third and senior outfielder Coby Zimmerman to reach home from second for a commanding 13-7 advantage. Marlow reached base upon hitting a two-RBI single through the left side to make the score, 11-7, and Zimmerman walked. Zimmerman's run was the last one of the game.
 
Freshman infielder Caleb Albaugh of the Roadrunners brought MSU Denver to a 2-0 lead in the first after hitting a two-run home run to left field. Junior infielder/outfielder Chase Anderson, who was on second, led off with a single through the left side and later stole second.
 
Down by a run in the fourth, Regis tied the game, 2-2, on Marlow's double to left center that allowed Koontz to score from second. Koontz doubled down the right-field line in the previous at-bat.
 
RU took its first lead further down the inning, 3-2, when Marlow scored from second on senior infielder Brevin Owen's RBI single up the middle.
 
MSUD eventually reached a lead of 7-5 in the eighth on junior infielder/outfielder Jake Williams' scored run off a wild pitch. Williams tripled to right center to open the inning.
 
Undeterred by the margin, the Rangers stepped it up in the ninth. Regis first scored in the ninth on Boyle's RBI double to left center that knocked home redshirt junior outfielder McKay Banks, who pinch ran at second, and cut the margin to a one-run, 7-6 deficit.
 
Beyene evened the score, 7-7, on the next at-bat with his double down the left-field line that scored Boyle. 
 
Game Notes: Marlow opened the second doubleheader with a 4-for-5 showing with the bat, including two doubles, scoring a share of the game-high three runs and registering a game-high four RBI. Koontz posted a 3-for-5 performance, including a double, scored a share of the game-high three runs, and had two RBI. Boyle put up a 2-for-2 outcome, including a double, added a run, and contributed three RBI. Beyene recorded a 2-for-4 result at the plate, including a double, and also had both a run scored and an RBI. Koontz and Boyle also each had a stolen base. Senior utility player Thomas Alexander threw 4.2 innings in the no-decision in which he struck out six while giving up six runs, seven hits, and no walks.
 
How It Happened | Game 2: Late in the bottom of the fifth with the score knotted up at 2-2, Williams belted a solo home run to left center to lift the Roadrunners to a 3-2 lead, which gave MSU Denver all it needed to win.
 
MSUD cushioned its lead on back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth. Albaugh's single to right center moved sophomore outfielder Jake Barber, who reached first after being hit by a pitch, home from second. This preceded sophomore infielder Bill Ralston's single to second that scored Anderson from third. Anderson, who walked, represented the game's final run and gave the Roadrunners a 5-2 advantage.
 
Ralston provided MSU Denver a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when he scored an unearned run. A single through the left side allowed Ralston to get on base.
 
Following a Ralston solo home run to left to open the third, which gave MSUD a 2-0 advantage, Owen tied the game for RU, 2-2, in the top of the fifth with his two-run home run down the right-field line. Alexander scored on the home run after leading off the inning on a single to center.
 
Game Notes: Owen closed the doubleheader on a 1-for-3 performance, consisting of the home run, which gave him a run scored and a share of the game-high two RBI. Alexander and Boyle both had 1-for-3 showings at the plate with Alexander scoring the Rangers' other run and Boyle hitting a double. Zimmerman claimed a 1-for-1 outcome in his pinch-hit situation. Redshirt junior pitcher Mitchell Trenka pitched 4.0 innings in the no-decision, striking out four while allowing two runs (one earned), five hits, and three walks.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: Regis moves to a 17-11 record overall and a 13-11 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play. RU will continue its road trip with a doubleheader at UC-Colorado Springs (21-7, 17-7 RMAC) on Tuesday at Mountain Lion Park with a nine-inning contest set to begin at noon and a seven-inning game scheduled to start at 3 p.m.