Rangers blast Tigers

By Wyoming Sports.org

GILLETTE -- The Laramie Rangers used the ‘never turn down a freebie’ attitude on Wednesday to open the Wyoming AA State American Legion Baseball Tournament.

Laramie took advantage of nine Torrington errors and thumped the Tigers 15-6 to move into the quarterfinals of the tournament. The Rangers, 24-24, will face the winner of Wednesday night’s Gillette/Evanston contest Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Gillette is the top seed from the East with a 46-9 record.

Laramie led from the start, scoring three runs in the first inning, but used a big five-run fourth inning to break open a close game. The Rangers finished strong with four unanswered runs in the final three innings.

The Tigers surprisingly didn’t go with pitching ace Austen Wisroth and Laramie got to starter Brock Murphy early and often. Unfortunately for Torrington, Murphy wasn’t the problem; its defense was.

The Tigers had two critical errors to begin the game and Laramie catcher Jon Sorenson’s two-run single put the Rangers up 3-0.

After a scoreless second inning, the Rangers added three runs in the third, led by a two-run single by designated hitter Jordan Rhodine.

Torrington did come back against Laramie starting pitcher Coleton Wilson with four runs in the third to cut the lead to 6-5.

That was as close as the Tigers would get, as Laramie pounded out six hits in the fourth to take an 11-5 lead.

The Rangers added two runs in the seventh on no hits and five Torrington errors. Laramie closed the scoring with a pair of runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

Sorenson had an outstanding game for the Rangers, with four singles and three RBI. Although he had just one hit, Rhodine knocked in four runs. Harding finished with three hits, with Jason Rodriguez, Sean Gardea and Mike Garner adding two hits each. Laramie had 15 hits in the game.
Wilson picked up the win on the mound, scattering 10 hits and giving up all six runs. Harding pitched the final two innings.

In the first game of the day, Cheyenne Post 6 blasted Green River 15-1. Post 6 is the seven-time defending state champion.