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7
MSU Denver MSUD 28-18
15
Winner Regis (CO.) RUBB 27-22-1
MSU Denver MSUD
28-18
7
Final
15
Regis (CO.) RUBB
27-22-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
MSU Denver MSUD 1 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 7 13 0
Regis (CO.) RUBB 0 4 5 0 2 0 2 2 X 15 18 0

W: Kleinsorge, Justin (5-3) L: Tyler Phillips (2-3)

2022 Baseball seniors 5.1
Regis Athletics and Rangers Baseball honored nine graduating seniors and graduate students following Sunday's victory over MSU Denver.

Game Recap: Baseball | | David Wilson, Assistant AD-Communications

Rangers celebrate Senior Day with 15-7 victory and 3-1 series win over MSU Denver

DENVER, Colo. — The Regis University baseball team closed its 2022 regular season with an emphatic statement, cruising to a 15-7 win over crosstown rival Metropolitan State University of Denver on Sunday and surging to second in the RMAC standings.

For Regis (27-22-1 overall, 20-12 RMAC), Sunday's victory secured the first series win over MSU Denver (28-18 overall, 17-11 RMAC) since 2017 and served as a well-deserved celebration prior to the post-game Senior Day festivities.

"Our guys are coming together at the right time and it felt like it was just a matter of time before we clicked," said Regis head baseball coach Drew LaComb, who's team shook off a 17-11 loss in Game One of the series to win three straight. "We had a goal in the early part of the fall that we wanted to be good at the end of the season and the guys have showed that this month. That was a big win for us."

HOW IT HAPPENED: MSU Denver was able to scratch a run across in the top of the first inning on a double-play ground out. However, the lead was short lived as the Rangers' lineup exploded for four runs in the second and a five-run third inning to take a commanding 9-1 early lead.

Freshman shortstop Zach Daudet cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the second and provided an RBI single to cap the second as part of his 2-for-3, 4 RBI day.

Sunday's performance followed a similar trend to Saturday's doubleheader sweep, where Regis held a 6-0 lead after the first in Game Two and a 3-0 lead in Game Three to put the visiting Roadrunners on their heels early.

"Getting off to good starts helps us settle down. We're a much better and more aggressive team when we play with a lead," LaComb said. "Our guys were ready to go from the start in all three of these wins and I'm proud of these guys for what they were able to accomplish this weekend and regular season."

MSU Denver answered with a run in the fourth and two runs in the top of the fifth to close the gap back to 9-4, but Regis sophomore Levi Padilla stopped the momentum change with a huge left-on-left, two-run home run in the home half of the fifth inning.

Padilla, who also made a diving catch in center defensively, finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI atop the Rangers' batting order.

"Levi had a tremendous day today. He made a diving catch in left, started the game with a barreled ball, and that home run was a huge answer for us," LaComb said. "We needed those two runs back and it was a big-time swing of the bat for us."

The Rangers were able to keep the Roadrunners at a puncher's distance the rest of the way, adding to their lead with two runs in the seventh on a Thomas Alexander home run and Kyle Koontz RBI single. Senior utility player JJ Reeves then capped the scoring with a two-run double down the left-field line in the eighth inning, putting a bow on the 15-7 final.

On the mound, senior right-hander Justin Kleinsorge picked up his fifth win of the season with a workmanlike 5.2 innings pitched. He scatted 11 hits (eight singles), allowing five runs and striking out five. He finishes the 2022 regular season as the RMAC leader in strikeouts with 91 in 64.2 innings.

"I was proud of Justin's toughness. He threw strikes, he commanded the ball. MSU Denver is a good offensive team and they got their hits and hit the ball hard a few times, but Justin didn't let them beat us with walks, hit-by-pitches or free baserunners," LaComb said. "He kept attacking and he had that third inning, runners at second and third with no outs, that he escaped and really showed his toughness. That's why he's one of the best pitcher's in the conference and why we throw him in big games."

As a team, Regis produced 15 runs on 18 hits. Joining Padilla and Daudet with multi-hit efforts were junior Matt Marlow (2-for-5), redshirt sophomore Trey Harrison (2-for-4), junior third baseman Colten Chase (2-for-3, 3 runs) and graduate student catcher Roger Riley, who was a perfect 3-for-3 and two hit-by-pitches.

Riley ends the regular season with a ridiculous .448 batting average and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9) in 163 official at-bats. His .448 average is the second best in the RMAC this season and currently the 7th best single-season mark in program history.

Riley, Koontz, Reeves and Alexander were four of nine graduating seniors and graduate students the Rangers were able to honor postgame as part of Senior Day, joined by outfielders Andy Beyene, Miguel Marquez, McKay Banks and Brevin Owen, as well as relief pitcher Sean O'Hagan. All nine players saw time and contributed in the series victory.

"I'm proud of this group and proud of these guys. I think our senior group is full of great people and I've loved their leadership," LaComb said. "It's hard to replace good people. And we get it. It's college athletics and that's the nature of the beast. But at the end of the day, I'm going to miss those people. It was very exciting to see them graduate, for the team to have a great weekend, and everyone got to contribute to those wins."

UP NEXT: The Rangers have concluded their regular season schedule and will now await word on when, where and who they will play in the RMAC Tournament, scheduled to get underway Wednesday, May 18.

Regis currently holds the No. 2 seed behind conference leaders Colorado Mesa, with one week remaining in the regular season for most RMAC teams.

Regardless of final seeding, LaComb said the Rangers are pleased with where the team is at heading into the postseason and will now concentrate on getting rested and refocused for a postseason run.

"Our focus now is getting our guys healthy and rested up. And we need to continue to find ways to get better before the RMAC Tournament," LaComb said. "Whatever happens with the other teams playing next week is out of our control. But we can control getting ourselves prepared and it'll be nice to have an 8-10 day stretch to get ourselves ready."
 
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Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play MSUD RUBB
MSUD TOP 1st B. Ralston grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b (2-2); C. Albaugh out on the play; C. Schultz scored. 1 0
RUBB BOT 2nd Chase singled to shortstop, RBI (0-0); Harrison advanced to third; Riley scored. 1 1
RUBB BOT 2nd Daudet tripled to right center, 3 RBI (1-1); Padilla scored; Chase scored; Harrison scored. 1 4
RUBB BOT 3rd Riley doubled to right field, RBI (1-0); Marlow scored. 1 5
RUBB BOT 3rd Harrison doubled to center field, RBI (0-0); Riley scored. 1 6
RUBB BOT 3rd Alexander flied out to rf, SF, RBI (0-2); Harrison scored. 1 7
RUBB BOT 3rd Padilla doubled to right field, RBI (0-1); Chase advanced to third; Cicini scored. 1 8
RUBB BOT 3rd Daudet singled to center field, advanced to second on the throw, RBI (0-2); Padilla advanced to third, out at third cf to 2b to c to 3b; Chase scored. 1 9
MSUD TOP 4th T. Garner scored on a wild pitch. 2 9
MSUD TOP 5th Z. Schuler homered to left center, 2 RBI (1-1); R. Smith scored. 4 9
RUBB BOT 5th Padilla homered to right field, 2 RBI (0-0); Chase scored. 4 11
MSUD TOP 6th C. Albaugh homered to right field, RBI (3-2). 5 11
MSUD TOP 7th Z. Schuler homered to right field, RBI (2-2). 6 11
RUBB BOT 7th Alexander homered to left field, RBI (2-0). 6 12
RUBB BOT 7th Koontz singled to left field, RBI (0-1); Daudet scored. 6 13
MSUD TOP 8th C. Albaugh flied out to rf, SF, RBI (2-2); C. Schultz scored. 7 13
RUBB BOT 8th Reeves doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI (1-0); Banks scored; Riley scored. 7 15

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