Pueblo, Colo. – The Regis University Baseball team split a pair of high-scoring affairs with Colorado State University-Pueblo on Saturday afternoon. RU took the early game, 20-12, and CSUP won the late game, 16-15. The Rangers move to 18-11 (8-3 RMAC), while the Thunderwolves now sit at 13-12 (3-4 RMAC).

GAME ONE

Clayton Conn got the Rangers rolling immediately, with a lead-off home run in the top of the first inning. After Adam Paniagua was walked and Ethan Wood singled, Jack Moulin brought them all home with a home run that was immediately followed by a solo shot from Maxim Fullerton for the 5-0 lead. Westin Miller recorded a triple that batted in Peter Goldy, and Conn ended the inning with his second home run of the frame, an inside the park shot that scored Miller, bringing the score to 8-0. Goldy then took a hit by pitch that batted in a run in the top of the second inning.

CSUP came alive in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs on a single through the right side, and two more on a play that included a fielders choice and an error. An RBI single brought in an unearned run that brought the score to 9-5 after two.

Panigua batted in Garrett Rede in the top of the third, and was brought in by Moulin's single to center field. Goldy then scored Moulin with a single to bring the score to 12-5. In the bottom of the inning, the Thunderwolves had back-to-back RBIs on a triple and a grounder, then with two outs, slapped a grand slam that brought the match within one, 12-11.

The Rangers loaded the bases in the fifth, but brought no one home, though RU did put together a huge sixth inning. Wood's single scored Conn, then Moulin's single brought home Rede. Fullerton and Goldy had consecutive RBI singles, while Zach Barnao pinch hit, getting hit by a pitch that brought in Moulin. Conn ended the inning with a RBI fielder's choice, scoring Fullerton.

In the seventh inning, Wood homered again, scoring Paniagua for the 20-11 lead. The Thunderwolves led off the seventh with a solo home run, but got no closer than that.

GAME NOTES

·        Fullerton went 6-6 at the plate, scoring two runs and batting in two runs

·        Goldy and Moulin both had four hits; Moulin had five RBIs, and Goldy had three

·        Eight Rangers had at least one hit, and seven had multiple

·        Conn batted in four runs

·        Christian Castaneda went 2-3 with five RBIs

·        Regis totaled 25 hits, tying for the fifth-highest mark in team history

·        Noah McCandless (3-2) earned the win, while Luke Ruby (0-2) recorded the loss. Mason Ashcraft struck out five batters

GAME TWO

The Rangers would also start the second game with a first-inning run, as Paniagua's single brought home Conn. However, the Thunderwolves had a better start, scoring four runs on five hits, including two home runs, and one RU error. CSUP used another solo shot in the bottom of the second to extend the lead to 5-1.

Paniagua, the NCAA DII leader in home runs, added to his total in the third, launching one to center field that scored him and Rede. However, Pueblo added to their lead in the bottom of the frame, scoring on a fielder's choice and grounder to go up, 7-3.

The fourth frame saw a sacrifice fly from Conn that brought home Goldy, followed by an RBI single from Rede to score CJ Difliglia. Wood tripled down the right field line, scoring two runs and tying the game at 7-7 before Moulin singled to take the 8-7 lead. Pueblo evened the match again in the fourth on a sac fly, and used a double in the fifth inning to score three runs and take back the lead, 11-8.

Wood brought home another run in the top of the sixth with a double. Then Moulin and Fullerton added back-to-back home runs, which put RU back ahead, 12-11. The teams would continue to trade leads, as the Thunderwolves scored five more runs on four more hits in the sixth inning for the 16-12 advantage. In the top of the seventh inning, with two outs, Tanner Rice doubled to left field which brought in both Conn and Ayden Harrison. Fullerton then doubled, which scored Rice, but the comeback bid fell just short, 15-16.

GAMES NOTES

·        Moulin, Wood, and Paniagua all had two hits and three RBIs

·        Fullerton added two hits and two RBIs

·        Seven Rangers mad multiple hits

·        Noah Williams was 3-5 with two RBIs for the Thunderwolves

·        Both teams had 16 hits

·        Wyatt Zsidisin (1-2) recorded the loss, while Jack Novak (1-1) earned the win

UP NEXT

The Rangers and Thunderwolves conclude their series on Sunday, March 23, with the first pitch at 12:00 pm.