DENVER - The Regis University softball team (1-1, 0-0 RMAC) celebrated Opening Day with a doubleheader split with the Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks (3-3), Saturday afternoon at the Regis Softball Field. In the opener, Regis had a big lead midway through, but Cal Poly Humboldt clawed back to win the game by one run. In the closer, the Rangers' bats couldn't be stopped as they cruised to an electric victory.
Game One | How it Happened: The Lumberjacks got the ball rolling early with a pair of runs in the top of the first. But Regis proceeded to explode when it was their turn to bat - the Rangers went off for six hits and eight runs, taking a commanding 8-2 lead.
Freshman
Kylie Harpman shutout Humboldt in the second and freshman
Mia Moore added another run for RU in the bottom of the inning when senior
Madison Flores singled. With the score at 9-2, Regis, the Lumberjacks started to make a comeback in the top of the third with three runs which cut the Rangers lead to 9-5.
Then in the fourth, four more Humboldt runs forced junior
Abby Covington to come in and pitch for Regis. With the game tied up at 9-9 and in the bottom of the sixth, freshman
Lima Magana stepped up to the plate and delivered a monster triple for the Rangers. Harpman, who was planted on second as a pinch runner, easily scored which gave Regis the lead. In the following at-bat, Moore hit a nice sac fly and scored Magana, putting Regis up 11-9.
In the Lumberjacks last at-bat, the team put up two runs to edge in front of RU, 12-11. The Rangers had one more chance to send the game to extras or win it, but to no avail. Regis fell in the opener by just one run.
Game Notes: The squad scored 11 runs on 13 hits and committed two errors.
Flores led Regis in the opener with a trio of hits (3-4).
Senior
Carly Beard, freshman
Miia Campos and Flores led the team with two RBI each.
Covington (0-1) was credited with the loss but rang up three batters.
Game Two | How it Happened: In the first inning of the closer and sophomore
Megan Loveland in the circle, Regis was down 2-0. But the Rangers cut the deficit in half when graduate student
Allisha Martinez hit a dinger over the fence.
Later on in the third, Regis took their first lead of the game when Beard doubled, sending two runners home to score. Moore followed with an RBI single and then two Lumberjack errors put Regis in command, 9-3.
RU kept it coming in the fourth when sophomore
Katherine Raper hit a solo bomb over the fence. Up 10-5 in the sixth, Humboldt started to make somewhat of a comeback by scoring two runs. Head Coach
Nicole Thompson sent in sophomore
Alexis Kemp to pitch for Loveland, who finished off the Lumberjacks efficiently.
Due to darkness, the game had to be called in the bottom of the sixth, so Regis took the 10-7 victory, splitting the DH.
Game Notes: Regis scored 10 runs off eight hits and had three errors.
Loveland (1-0) got her first win of the season.
Up Next For The Rangers: Regis will take on Fort Hays State tomorrow in another doubleheader. Game times are set for noon and 2 p.m. at the Regis Softball Field.
