Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Regis University Athletics

Home of the Regis University Rangers
13
Winner Augustana AUGIE 2-0
3
Regis University RUBB 6-7-1
Winner
Augustana AUGIE
2-0
13
Final
3
Regis University RUBB
6-7-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Augustana AUGIE 0 6 1 0 0 0 1 5 0 13 18 2
Regis University RUBB 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 10 0

W: Michek, Ashton (1-0) L: Ashcraft, Mason (1-3)

5
Augustana AUGIE 2-1
6
Winner Regis University RUBB 7-7-1
Augustana AUGIE
2-1
5
Final
6
Regis University RUBB
7-7-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Augustana AUGIE 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 5 7 3
Regis University RUBB 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 6 5 0

W: Sloan, Ethan (1-0) L: Diedrich, Adam (0-1)

Clay Conn 2.24
Jon Bocox, Courtesy Photo
Regis junior Clayton Conn (#1) slides home and scores a run during Saturday's doubleheader.

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

Fullerton's walk-off homer lifts Rangers to doubleheader split against Augustana

DENVER, Colo. — The Regis University baseball team received some late inning heroics from its veterans on Saturday, rallying for a 6-5 walk-off victory against Augustana University in Game Two of Saturday's doubleheader and earning a split on the afternoon.

Regis (7-7-1 overall) earned its first win of the series with a five-run seventh inning, capped off by a titanic two-run, walk-off home run off the bat of junior outfielder Maxim Fullerton. The Rangers will not look to earn a series split when it takes on the Vikings (2-1 overall), who won Saturday's first game, 13-3, in the series finale on Sunday (12 p.m.).

"A lot of credit goes out to Augustana for really putting us on our heels and in some bad situations through the first three games of this series. They are a World Series team that returned a lot of their top guys and it has shown. But I think we have also seen a lot of positives that we've been able to take away," said Regis head baseball coach, Pat Jolley. "To be able to come back down four runs at the end of the day, against a team of that caliber, some good things have to happen and I'm very happy for our guys."

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME TWO)
Behind a solid start from sophomore left-hander Ryan Garcia, the Rangers were able to keep the powerful Vikings off the scoreboard through the game's first four innings. Garcia would finish the day going four-plus innings, allowing just two runs on four hits and striking out two.

Regis would draw first blood in the third inning, taking advantage of a walk, a hit batsman and a fielding error by Augustana that led junior shortstop Clayton Conn cross the plate for a 1-0 lead.

The Rangers held their 1-0 lead until the fifth inning, when the Vikings produced five runs on four hits to take a 5-1 lead.

Down to their final three outs in the seventh, the Rangers' offense came to life against a stout Vikings' bullpen as the first three men of the inning reach, loading the bases with nobody out for senior outfielder Levi Padilla.

Padilla pumped new life into the Rangers with a two-strike, bases-clearing double to right field that brought Regis all the way back to within a run at 5-4 and chased Augustana reliever Ethan Cole, who had only allowed one hit over his previous two innings of work.

"That's what seniors are for. They've been through the fire and there's no situation that Levi hasn't seen. Not only was it a tough left-on-left matchup, but the kid (Cole) had struck out the side the inning before, and it was awesome to see Levi come through like that," Jolley said. "Good things happen to good people. I believe that. And I know he was prepared for that situation."

With the momentum back on the Rangers' side, and the winning run represented at the plate, Fullerton would send the Regis faithful home happy just two batters later as he walloped a change up from Augustana closer Adam Diedrich — tied for the most saves in Division II in 2023 with 14 — to punctuate the Rangers' 6-5, come-from-behind victory.

"Sitting in the dugout, you just had a feeling that Max was going to do something special. I'm really happy for him and it was great to see as we're trying to get him going a little bit early in the spring," Jolley said. "When you have guys who work as hard as Max does, you want them to be successful so I'm really glad he got to have that moment."

On the mound, it was another Regis upperclassmen who had a major hand in keeping the Rangers within striking distance as senior left-hander Ethan Sloan struck out seven of the 12 batters he faced in 2.2 innings of relief. He allowed just one run on two hits with the season-high seven punchouts en route to earning his first win of 2024.

"Ethan is an unbelievable arm, he really is. We had conversations after the sixth whether we were going to send Ethan back of the seventh, or maybe try to rest him so he could be used again (Sunday), but we trusted our offense enough that we felt the best option was to run Ethan back out there for the seventh," Jolley said. "When he is on, it's a difficult situation for any opposing hitter."

HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME ONE)
In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, two big innings for the Vikings where they scored six in the second and five runs in the eighth skewed what would be a 13-3 final.

Augustana scored five of its six runs with two outs in the second inning, putting the Rangers behind the 8-ball early.

Regis tried to chip away at the deficit, scoring a run in the third on a RBI groundout from junior CJ Difiglia, a run in the fifth on a RBI single from Conn, and then another run in the sixth inning on the RBI double from senior catcher Reagan Guthrie that trimmed the Vikings' lead to 8-3.

Conn paced all Regis hitters with a spotless 3-for-3 performance atop the batting order, while junior designated hitter Adam Paniagua and junior left-fielder Garrett Rede each finished 2-for-4.

Out of the bullpen, senior right-hander Dylan De Leon tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings of relief and junior left-hander Riley Phelan also worked a scoreless inning.

UP NEXT
With the momentum in hand, the Rangers will aim to earn a split with Augustana on Sunday when the two teams' square off in the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Regis Baseball Field.
 
Print Friendly Version

Related Headlines