DENVER, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs struggled to come back after a big sixth inning by the Regis University Rangers, as the Mountain Lions fall at a final score of 9-5 at the Regis Baseballl Field.
UCCS (21-14, 13-8 RMAC) was out-hit 10-7 by Regis (11-23, 6-15 RMAC) in the ball game, with Mountain Lion second basemen
Matthew Clarke providing the offensive power by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI from the leadoff spot. UCCS'
Jonathan Cowles punched out five batters as he received the loss in Friday's game. Rangers' starting pitcher Chris Isbell threw a complete game against the Mountain Lions as he allowed five runs on seven hits to record his first win of the season.
Regis grabbed the first lead of the game by plating two runs in the bottom of the second, thanks in part to a Logan Heflebower two-run home run to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.
It was not until the top half of the fifth inning that UCCS put their first runs on the board and started to chomp away at the Rangers' lead. After a
John Mallon single and a
Walker Rumsey base on balls,
Matt McDermott reached base on a fielding error by the third basemen to load the bases for Clarke. With two outs in the inning, Clarke came up clutch with his first double of the game, which cleared the bases and ended the inning as Clarke tried to stretch the double into a triple by being thrown at third, but not before bringing in three RBI to capture a 3-2 UCCS lead.
In the sixth inning, the Rangers re-took the lead with a five hit six-run inning. Cowles started to slow down as he gave up a single, walk, a three-run blast, and a double before departing and finishing the day with 5 1/3 innings pitched. UCCS'
Dagin Renck came in relief to record an out in the sixth inning, but a single through the right side setup a squeeze bunt to score the runner from third as back-to-back walks ended Renck's outing.
Jon Sotto was able to come in and record the last out for UCCS, after giving up a single up the middle that scored two more runs and gave Regis their second lead of 8-3.
Regis' Coby Zimmerman hit two home runs in the game for the Rangers, as he contributed a solo home run in the seventh to increase the Ranger lead to 9-3.
The Mountain Lions were not yet done as they put a run across in both the eighth and ninth inning to bring the score to 9-5. However, UCCS had a hard time recovering from the six-run sixth inning as the game ended with a final 9-5 score.
The Rangers' four-hole and five hole hitters, Zimmerman and Heflebower, combined for six of Regis' 10 hits, and six of their nine runs as they each finished 3-for-4 on the day.
UCCS will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they take on Regis in a double-header with game one's first pitch set for 12 p.m.
