Colorado Springs edges Rangers for title

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

The two best teams in the Dooley Oil Classic battled at Cowboy Field Sunday night for the tournament title, and it was just that -- a battle that lasted into extra innings.

Both Laramie and the Colorado Springs Baseball Club won their respective pools with 3-0 records to get to the championship. Colorado Springs, 9-4, was the better team Sunday night and won the tournament, 7-2 in eight innings over the Rangers.

The game was closer than the score indicated, as Laramie gave up two quick runs, then battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning before Colorado Springs pulled away.

Rangers' manager Sean McKinney decided to shake up the pitching rotation and start closer Skyler Joy, but the first two innings did not go so well for Joy, as Colorado Springs earned three hits and two Laramie errors led to two runs for a 2-0 Colorado Springs lead.

“Coley (Wilson) was unable to start,” McKinney said. “We thought it would be better to have him finish. We had Skyler (Joy) throw two innings, so it wasn’t anything different for him.”

Coleton Wilson replaced Joy at the mound in the third inning and the game was neck and neck after that, as Wilson and Colorado Springs pitcher Todd Brazell were locked in a duel. Wilson had four strikeouts and gave up one hit through seven innings, while Brazell got the win with four strikeouts and allowed five hits in seven innings.

“Coley did a good job,” McKinney said. “He did a good job for us and kept us in the game.”

The Rangers would threaten in the sixth inning, as Wilson singled and Joy broke out of his hitting slump with an RBI double that sent Wilson home to cut the lead to 2-1.

Laramie would threaten again in the seventh, as third baseman Nick Armijo reached first and moved to second on an errant pick-off play by Brazell. Armijo, however, was caught at third when he tried to advance on an error when Tyler Mitchell struckout, but reached first base on a passed ball.

Right fielder Brody Hilgenkamp then gave the Rangers a lift when he belted a big two-out triple that scored Mitchell from first, sending the game to extra innings.

“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and I got one,” Hilgenkamp said. “It was a real team effort to get back in this one. I was just happy to be a part of this team fighting back to get in the game.”

“That was exciting,” added McKinney. “He (Hilgenkamp) did a good job. He got his foot down and squared the ball up and put his motion into it. That’s just a bit time hit by Brody.”

As excited as the Rangers were to keep the game going, the wheels would come off for Laramie in the eighth inning.

Colorado Springs wore down Wilson with three hits and two costly Laramie errors, which led to five runs for the final margin. Armijo would come in to relieve Wilson and close it out.

Colorado Springs reliever Jerid Huggins closed the game out with three strikeouts and a walk.

“It did get away from us there at the end, but the game was not out of hand,” said McKinney. “The score has no indication of what the game was like.”

Despite the loss, McKinney said that they battled with a very good ballclub.

"What that tells me is the kids are doing a good job and we’re right there," he said. "We had some mind lapses early on that affected us late, so we just got to get those corrected and learn from them, so they don’t make those mistakes again.”

“Playing everyday for four straight days can kind of get tiring,” Hilgenkamp added. “I think it will help with the endurance factor for us and staying mentally focus. I think we played very well this tournament; we got a lot of good pitching, played some good D (defense), and we know we’re there.”

The Rangers, 17-8, will get another chance for a tournament title, as they will host the annual wood bat Firecracker Tournament at Cowboy Field July 2-5.

Rangers rout Sand Creek to move into Dooley Oil Classic title game

Richard Anderson photos
At top, Laramie third baseman Nick Armijo tags out a Sand Creek player in a steal attempt on Saturday. At left, Brody Hilgenkamp, 3, signals manager and third base coach Sean McKinney, with first base coach Kyle Deck looking on.

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

After scoring just three runs in two previous close wins at the Dooley Oil Classic, the Laramie Rangers had plenty to spare Saturday night against Sand Creek, Colo., at Cowboy Field

The Rangers AA American Legion squad trailed for the first time in the tournament, 1-0 to the Scorpions after the top of the first inning. However, Sand Creek's lead would be short lived as the Rangers would send 18 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning to score 12 runs and Laramie pulled away for a dominating 25-2 win that was called in the fifth inning due to a mercy rule.

“Sand Creek just didn’t have it tonight, but they’re a good ball club,” Rangers manager Sean McKinney said. “They win ball games and they just didn’t have it tonight.”

The Rangers got five hits that accounted for six RBIs in the first inning, the rest of the scoring came off of RBI-walks by Sand Creek pitcher’s Brad Perez and Matt Ninemire.

The first two wins of the tournament for Laramie were pitchers duels, but Saturday was certainly not, as the bats were flying for the Rangers, with Sand Creek pitchers, Perez, Ninemire and Sean Anderson having no answers. Laramie catcher and center fielder Jon Sorenson was 2-for-2 in the first inning and 3-for-5 overall with six RBIs, highlighted by a three-run home run over the left field wall in the fourth inning.

“I think all the hard work throughout the season comes back and shows on the field like it did tonight,” Sorenson said. “We’re on our rise up, and we’re peaking. “We don’t want to peak down, but we’re getting to the summit I think.”

“Sorenson has been pulling off a little bit, so we’re trying to get him to stay on pitches a little more and he finally did a good job of that,” McKinney added. “For him to come out and have success today, that’s going to help him mentally.”

Laramie finished with 13 hits in the game and also took advantage of 13 Sand Creek walks, five errors and three hit batsmen.

Jordan Rhodine got the win for the Rangers on the mound, with four strikeouts, while allowing just three hits through four innings. He also hit 2-for-2 with a double and a single for three RBIs.

“It’s good to win the close ball games 1-0 and 2-1, but it’s also great to know that you can completely get a good team like that,” Rhodine said. “We’re classy, but we’re not going to let up and let them (Sand Creek) get back into it.”

“I’m proud of the guys for getting up by 12 runs and then getting up by another 12 runs and not letting down,” McKinney added.

Reliever Tyler Mitchell would close things out in the fifth.

Laramie, 17-7, will face the winner of Colorado Springs and Fort Morgan Colo., Sunday for the championship at 7 p.m. at Cowboy Field.

“This late in the tournament, it’s going to come down to pitching. Pitching is the back-bone of the game,” Rhodine said. “We have a strong pitching staff for getting deep into tournaments, so that should help us out tomorrow.”

McKinney said winning the Dooley Oil Classic would definitely put his team in the right direction.

“Our ultimate goal is to win a state title,” he said. “Winning the (tournament) championship would give us a taste of what it’s like to win a championship. This can get us to our ultimate goal.”

Colorado Springs and Fort Morgan will face off at 9 a.m. on Sunday in the final game of pool play.

Rangers win another pitching duel

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

It was another pitcher’s duel Friday night at Cowboy Field in American Legion baseball action at the Dooley Oil Classic.

Laramie's Nolan Carter and Erie (Colo.) Tigers pitcher Wade Miatt almost matched pitch-for-pitch, and the Rangers would score two runs in the first inning -- and like Thursday -- those first-inning runs would be all they needed for a hard fought 2-1 win.

On Thursday, Laramie starting pitcher Coley Wilson threw a three-hitter to beat Broomfield, Colo., 1-0.

Miatt had five strikeouts and only gave up four hits, while the 16-year-old Carter, the Rangers home-run leader (three), got the win with 11 strike outs and allowed just two hits in the defensive battle. The final strike out of the day for Carter came against Erie pinch hitter Tyler DeSanto for the third and final out of the seventh inning.

The 11 strikeouts are a career best for Carter.

“If we play our game, get outs, throw strikes, I’m pretty sure we can win every game,” Carter said.

“Nolan Carter. What an unbelievable job,” Rangers manager Sean McKinney said. “A 16-year-old struck out 11 guys on a team (Erie) that is very, very good. We made some key defensive plays behind him and they’re playing hard; they’re playing the game the right way and good things are happening for us.”

Laramie's two runs in the first came on a RBI triple by catcher Jon Sorenson, who scampered home on a wild pitch.

Erie and Laramie, 16-7, will both face Sand Creek Colo., on Saturday at 4:30 and 7 p.m. respectively.

“The first time we ever played them was last year in this tournament and we beat them,” McKinney said. “It’s a new team; I don’t know all the guys. I tried to watch them today, but their game got rained out, but we’re going to go after them.”

“We always assume that teams are good, so we don’t come out here with a lazy mind thinking we can beat everybody,” Carter added. “We’ll come out thinking they’re the best team here and we’ll battle with them.”

NOTES
Friday night's game was originally scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but due to inclement weather earlier games were delayed pushing the schedule behind. The Broomfield-Sand Creek game that was rained out will not be made up ... Jordan Rhodine will be the starting pitcher for the Rangers against Sand Creek on Saturday.

Rangers open Dooley with 1-0 win

Laramie pitcher Coley Wilson

By Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

Coleton Wilson wasn’t at his sharpest, but the veteran Laramie Rangers ace did exactly what he needed to do in the clutch, pitching Post 14 to a 1-0 win over Broomfield, Colo., on Thursday in the first game of the Dooley Oil Classic at Cowboy Field.

Wilson walked seven Broomfield batters, but gave up just three hits and got out of a couple of jams with big strikeouts. Wilson struck out five in the game.

Broomfield opened the game with two walks and a single in the first inning, but Wilson struck out three to get out unscathed. The Eagles put a couple of runners on base in the top of the seventh, but Wilson induced a groundball to again get out of the jam.

The lone run would then come in the bottom of the first. Laramie catcher Jon Sorenson reached on an errant throw by Broomfield pitcher Hayden Underberg that sent shortstop Skyler Joy.

Joy’s run turned out to be the deciding factor in the game as Wilson and Underberg were locked in a pitcher’s duel the rest of the way.

“They’re a very solid ball club,” Rangers manager Sean McKinney said. “Their kid (Underberg) kept us off balance and he pitched a heck of a game, and luckily we had the same guy (Wilson) do it on our end. Coleton Wilson did such a great job tonight and we only needed one run to win this game, sometimes that’s what you need and I’m happy to be on this side of it.”

Underberg finished with seven strikeouts, but it was Wilson who would close out the win with a shutout.

“It felt amazing pitching a shutout,” Wilson said. “It’s my first one I think. To get it in front of the home crowd feels really good.”

Wilson is now 5-3 on the season with a 2.64 earned run average and came into Thursday’s game off a tough 2-0 loss last Sunday to Rapid City, S.D., Post 22.

“He’s (Wilson) our number one (pitcher) and he has been the last two years,” McKinney said. “I would say each week he pitches, he gets better and better. I’m proud of him; I’m proud he’s on our side.”

Laramie, 15-7, only managed three hits on the day, but allowed just three hits to Broomfield, which fell to 7-16 on the season.

The Dooley Oil Classic is played with wooden bats instead of the traditional aluminum bats. Wilson said there are some positives to playing with wooden bats.

“It’s nice pitching against wood bats,” he said. “The stuff you hit off the handle with the metal bat is a base hit, but with the wooden bat it’s a ground out, so that’s nice to pitch too.”

Up next for the Rangers will be Erie Colo., Friday at 7 p.m. at Cowboy Field.

“We’ve been on the road a lot; we were just in Rapid City (S.D.),” Wilson said. “Being in front of the home crowd is really nice.”

Game notes
The game followed a Mountain Collegiate Baseball League game between the Laramie Colts and Cheyenne Grizzlies, which was delayed earlier in the afternoon 80 minutes because of lightning. The Laramie-Broomfield game was then delayed from the start for 45 minutes because one umpire was absent … Laramie was home for the first time in 20 days, last facing Gillette on June 5. On Tuesday, the Rangers twin bill against the Casper Oilers was canceled because Casper had too many injured players.
　---
Rangers 1, Eagles 0
Broomfield 000 000 0 -- 0 3 2
Laramie 100 000 x -- 1 3 2
Laramie hitting -- Brody Hilgenkamp (1b), Skyler Joy (1b), Tyler Mitchell (1b). Broomfield hitting: Hayden Underberg (1b,1b), Drew Clark (1b) Laramie pitching -- Coley Wilson (WP, 7 in., 3h, 0r, 0er, 7bb, 5k). Broomfield pitching -- Hayden Underberg (LP, 6in., 3h, 1r, 0er, 3bb, 7k).

Rangers in tournament mode

Richard Anderson photo
Laramie manager Sean McKinney, left, talks with Coley Wilson at third base during an early-season game at Cowboy Field.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

The Summer Solstice has finally arrived, welcoming in the official beginning of tournament baseball for the Laramie Rangers.

The Laramie AA American Legion baseball team began the first of four straight weeks of tournament play by competing in the Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament in Rapid City, S.D. On tap this week in the Dooley Oil Classic at Cowboy Field Thursday through Sunday at Cowboy Field. The Rangers will also host the annual Firecracker Invitational July 2-5, and then compete in the four-day Scottsbluff Wood Bat Tournament July 9-12 in Scottsbluff, Neb.

After a late start to the season, then an on again and off again schedule, the Rangers will get at least 17 games in (weather permitting) in a matter of 15 days of action.

While Laramie manager Sean McKinney likes to practice, he also said that the more his team gets into the flow of the game, the better they will get at it.

“Baseball is a game where you have to play every day to get better at it,” McKinney said. “Games are the best test to work on things. Then we get to come back and have practice at the beginning of the week, which I love, to correct some things from a long tournament, and then go right back and play.”

The Rangers will open the tournament Thursday at 6 p.m. against Broomfield, Colo.

Up until last week’s five games, the Rangers had played just 16 games in about one month. In fact, Laramie went eight days between games when it faced Rock Springs early last week just before beginning the Rapid City tournament.

There will be few breaks in their schedule the rest of the way.

“I think it is good for the kids,” McKinney said. “We did the schedule so we would start out to have some good results and kind of work our way into good competition and each week, the competition gets better and better. We’re trying to get better and win the state title, which is our main goal. We’re trying to climb that hill and bill our program for this year towards our ultimate goal , and I think these tournaments are great to do that in the middle of the summer.”

Laramie, 14-7 overall, finished 2-3 in the Rapid City tournament. The Rangers started slow with two losses (9-1, 7-1) to Watertown, S.D., and Albuquerque, N.M. respectively. Laramie bounced back to thump Cherry Creek, S.D., 12-1, before closing on Sunday with a split, losing to Rapid City Post 22 2-0 and defeating Denver PlayBall Sports, 11-2.

“We had a little problem with the team and that kind of hindered us that first day,” McKinney said. “Once we came out of that, I thought we started playing together against great teams and great competition. I think we rose to the challenge for the most part. That put us in position to get ready for this weekend.”

McKinney added that the Rapid City tournament was a good test for the test, with the caliber of opposition, which is exactly what the Rangers will go up against in the next three weeks.

“We have to some great teams coming to our two tournaments, so it is going to be tough. As always, the Scottsbluff tournament will have good competition, too,” McKinney said. “It’s four straight weeks of great baseball. It really gets us into the flow of the summer.”

McKinney is also getting into the flow now after arriving late in the end of May after coaching his Mesa State team in the NCAA Division II World Series. Again, while he knows his team needs games, he said he still loves those off days where he can work with the young players.

“I love getting with them every day and teaching them the game,” he said. “It is such a great game to learn. I learn something from them every day and they learn things from me every day, so it is a great relationship that we have. It’s good to get back into the flow of things and the kids have to get comfortable with me again and I understand that.”

McKinney is also enjoying bringing new coaching aspects to his Legion program from the collegiate field.

“I think one of the things that I am really happy with is the guys’ willingness to learn new things,” McKinney said. “There is no one right way to do things, but you can always different things about the game and always get better. I’m happy with the kids because they are trying to new things. That what we are trying to lean towards, becoming better ballplayers.”

Rangers close Rapid tourney with split

By Wyoming Sports.org

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The Laramie Rangers AA American Legion baseball team closed the Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament with a big 11-2 win over Denver PlayBall Sports on Sunday at Floyd Fitzgerald Stadium.

Earlier in the day, the Rangers dropped a tough 2-0 decision to host Rapid City Post 22.

Laramie, 14-7 overall, finished 2-3 in the tournament.

As was the case on Saturday when the Rangers battled back from two opening losses and jumped on Cherry Creek, Colo., Laramie opened strong again against Denver PlayBall Sports.

Trailing 1-0, the Rangers scored twice in the second and five times in the third before putting the game away with two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings.

Jon Sorenson, Nick Armijo and Tim Deibert all had two hits in the game for the Rangers, while Nolan Carter, Coley Wilson and Jordan Rhodine all drove in a pair of runs. Laramie had 12 hits in the game, which ended in the fifth inning because of the eight-run rule.

Rhodine picked up the win on the mound, throwing two scoreless innings in relief of starter Rylan Harding, who lasted just one inning, struggling with his control. Armijo pitched the final two innings, giving up one run on one hit.

The Rangers were locked in a tough pitching battled against Rapid City, but Post 22’s Jarret Jensen was able to out-duel Wilson. Jensen threw a three-hit complete-game shutout. He struck out five and walked just one Ranger.

Wilson have up just six hits in the game, but yielded single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. One of those runs allowed was unearned.

The Rangers will begin an eight-game home series Thursday when they host the Dooley Classic Tournament Thursday through Sunday and the annual Firecracker Invitational July 2-5. The Rangers were to host the Casper Pilers on Tuesday, but that doubleheader was canceled.
　

Rangers thump Cherry Creek

by Wyoming Sports.org

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The Laramie Rangers AA squad bounced back from a tough start to thump Cherry Creek, Colo., 10-4 on Saturday in the Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament.

The Rangers, 13-6, scored just two runs in losses to Watertown, S.D., and Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday. They more than made up for those offensive woes on Saturday, scoring eight runs in the first inning and never looking back.

That was plenty of offense for starting pitcher Nolan Carter, who picked up the win on the mound, scattering six hits in the seven-inning, complete-game effort.

After spotting Cherry Creek a run, the Rangers came out swinging in the first inning, highlighted by two-run doubles by Jordan Rhodine and Nick Armijo. Rylan Harding had a two-run single, Skyler Joy added a RBI double and Coley Wilson knocked in a run with a single in the eight-hit inning for the Rangers.

Wilson also had a RBI double in the sixth as the Rangers scored their final two runs.

Brody Hilgenkamp, Wilson and Armijo all had two hits for the Rangers, who finished with 11 base knocks.

Laramie will close the tournament on Sunday when it meets host Rapid City Post 22 at 2:30 p.m. and Denver Play Ball at 5 p.m.

Rangers drop two in Rapid City

by Wyoming Sports.org

RAPID CITY, S. D. -- It's been a tough start for the Laramie Rangers AA American Legion baseball team at the Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament.

The Rangers were rained out on Thursday in their opener with Watertown, S.D., and came back for two on Friday, dropping both games. To make matters worse, the Laramie offense managed just two runs on the day, losing to Watertown 9-1 and Albuquerque, N.M., 7-1.

The two losses drop the Rangers to 12-6 on the season.

Watertown jumped on Laramie starting pitcher Jordan Rhodine with four runs in the second inning and two more in the third. Rhodine gave up four hits and walked five in three innings. All six runs allowed were earned. Brody Hilgenkamp pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, with the game called in the bottom of the sixth because of the eight-run rule. Hilgenkamp gave up three runs on five hits.

The Rangers lone run came in the top of the sixth inning on a RBI single by Rhodine. Laramie had just four hits in the game -- two each by Rhodine and Ryan Harding.

Laramie came right back and faced Albuquerque without much more success. Albuquerque broke the game open with three runs in the third and two more in the fourth.

Coleton Wilson took the loss, giving up 11 hits in six innings. All six runs were earned. Nick Armijo pitched one inning, giving up one run on a pair of hits.

Offensively, the Laramie bats were silent again with just four hits. Rhodine led the way again with two hits, with Hilgenkamp and Skyler Joy adding one hit in the game.

Laramie will look to get going on Saturday when it faces Cherry Creek, Colo., at 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, the Rangers face Rapid City Post 22 at 2:30 p.m. and Denver Play Ball at 5 p.m.

Rangers AA split with Rock Springs

By Wyoming Sports.org

ROCK SPRINGS -- The Laramie Rangers AA American Legion AA baseball team returned to action on Monday after an eight-day absence and looked rested, rolling past Rock Springs in the first game of a doubleheader.

Not so much in the second game.

The Rangers easily won the opener, 15-5 in five innings, before falling in a second-game shootout, 17-16. With the split, Laramie is 12-4 on the season.

In the first game, it was all Laramie, as the Rangers used a six-run third inning to break the game open, adding seven more runs in the final two frames.

Jordan Rhodine led the way with three hits and six RBI, including a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a three-run double in the fifth. Coleton Wilson added a pair of hits and two RBI, while Nick Armijo finished with two runs batted in.

Wilson, Armijo, Skyler Joy and Brody Hilgenkamp all pitched for the Rangers.

It appeared the Rangers would feed off of that momentum, but couldn’t hang on to any advantage they had in that second game. Laramie had an 8-1 lead going into the bottom of the third, only to see the Mustangs strike for five in the same inning. Laramie again went up 14-6 before Rock Springs exploded with nine runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 15-14 advantage.

The Rangers regained the lead with two runs in the seventh, but again couldn’t hold on. An error led to a two-run game-winning hit for the Mustangs in the bottom of the seventh.

Laramie pounded out 14 hits in the game, but also gave up 14 hits. Hilgenkamp led the way with three hits, with Rylan Harding, Armijo and Tim Deibert adding two hits each.

The Rangers will return to action on Thursday when they face Watertown, S.D., at noon to begin the four-day Rich Hinseth Agency Tournament in Rapid City, S.D.
　
　
　
　

Riverton sweeps Rangers A team

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

The bigger, stronger and faster Riverton Raiders proved to be too much for the Laramie Rangers Tuesday at Cowboy Field in American Legion A baseball action, sweeping the doubleheader, 21-8 and 6-3.

The A Rangers have lost three straight games to fall to 5-6 on the season.

Game one was all Riverton, as it led 13-7 heading into the seventh and tacked on seven more runs to halt any chance of a Rangers comeback. Laramie could only score one run in the bottom of the seventh for the final margin.

“I think the first game we came out a little intimidated because they’re a little bit bigger team,” Rangers A coach Brandon Ruckman said.

“I think we came out in the first game and we were cocky,” added Rangers left fielder Lance McCartney. “We just wanted to walk all over them (Riverton). I think we actually got intimidated by how big they were; that kind of made it difficult.”

The second game started out like the first game as Riverton scored three quick runs in the first inning. Laramie would remain within striking distance for the rest of the game behind clutch pitching from Kevin Dooley and hitting from McCartney. Dooley had three strikeouts through six innings, while McCartney was 2-for-3 with a single and an RBI-triple.

“I think that’s probably the best I’ve seen him (Dooley) pitch throughout the season,” McCartney said. “That’s a lot better than what most people have done.”

McCartney hit his RBI-triple off of Riverton pitcher Doss Winter, which made the score 5-2 in favor of the Raiders after the third inning. Each team would tack on one more run for the final score.

“We just came out and made it competitive in the second game, which is nice,” Ruckman said. “We didn’t make as many errors, we held defensively, and Kevin Dooley threw a pretty good game and kept us in it.”

The Rangers A squad will be in action again Wednesday when they take on the Wheatland Lobos in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m., in Wheatland.

“We’ll come out ready tomorrow for Wheatland,” McCartney said. “It will make it a lot easier, seeing how that is one of the best teams (Riverton) we’ve played so far.”

Rangers A get forfeit wins over Rawlins

Richard Anderson photo

Laramie's Ryan Spiker, left, and the Rawlins first baseman await the pitch Thursday in an American Legion A baseball game at Cowboy Field.

By Bobby Abplanalp

Wyoming Sports.org

They played … just to play.

Due to a shortage of players, the Rawlins Generals had to forfeit a pair of games against the Laramie Rangers A team, as the Generals were accommodated by a couple of older players to fill out their roster. Laramie outscored Rawlins 5-2 in the first game Thursday at Cowboy Field, with the second game called in the fourth inning because of rain and the Generals up 6-1.

With the wins, Laramie is now 5-3 on the season.

Ranger’s pitcher Dylan Watson picked up the first-game win on the mound, only allowing two runs off of four hits through seven innings.

Rawlins led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth, when Laramie reeled off four straight runs over two innings for the final margin. Three of the four runs were off of stolen bases caused by Generals pitcher Dustin Haag’s wild pitches.

“I think they did okay,” Rangers A coach Brandon Ruckman said. “Rawlins came out and they put a run on the board and then we played small ball and got it done. We put a couple runs up and Dylan (Watson) threw strikes, he came out and did what we wanted him to do and the defense did their work.”

The first pitch of game two was thrown by Laramie pitcher Ryan Spiker at 7:20 p.m. Like the Rangers other games this year, they would come out slow in the second game, while Rawlins started out hot jumping out to a 6-1 lead before the game was called in the fourth due to rain.

The Rangers A squad will be in action again on Saturday for a doubleheader against Gering Post 36, beginning at 2 p.m., in Gering, Neb.

“The kids are excited,” Ruckman said. “They’ve done well so far this season, so I think they have the confidence to go in there (Gering) and put up a couple victories. I told them they need to come out for two games and not just one; every game we have this year is a doubleheader, so they need to come out and win the first one and get excited, get confident, and get on top of the second game right off the bat.”
---
Rangers 5, Generals 2

Rawlins A 100 010 0 -- 2 5 0
Rangers A 000 122 x -- 5 7 1
Laramie hitting -- Tyler Loose (1b), Kevin Dooley (1b,1b), Lance McCartney (1b), Abel Casas (RBI), Dylan Watson (1b), Alex Jordan (1b). Laramie pitching -- Dylan Watson (W, 7in., 5h, 2r, 2er, 6bb, 4k).
-
Generals 6, Rangers 1 (4)

Rawlins A 105 0 -- 6 3 0
Rangers A 001 0 -- 1 5 4
Laramie hitting -- Kevin Dooley (1b), Lance McCartney (1b), Kyle Alexander (1b, RBI), Travis Scott (1b), Ryan Spiker (1b). Laramie pitching -- Ryan Spiker (2in., 2h, 5r, 4er, 5bb, 2k), Tyler Loose (1 1/3in., 1h, 1r, 1er, 3bb, 1k).
　

Laramie A splits with Gillette

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

It was a tale of two games Tuesday at Cowboy Field in a doubleheader between the Laramie Rangers American Legion A team and the Gillette Rustlers. The Rangers cruised to a 14-2 win in the first game, followed by a crushing defeat in game two by a score of 15-8. With the split, the Rangers A squad is now 3-3 on the season, while the Rustlers are 13-10.

The Rangers jumped out early in the opening contest and led 11-0 after two innings. The second game would tell a different tale as Gillette led 3-0 after the second-inning and eventually increased its lead to 10-0 heading into the fifth.

“I thought the first game was great,” Rangers
A coach Brandon Ruckman said. “We came out and put pressure on them right off the bat. We kept it up the whole game; Abel (Casas) threw strikes for us and the defense did their job.”

“In the first game we wanted to beat these guys, because they beat us down in the Casper tournament this past weekend,” third baseman Tyler Mitchell said. “So we really wanted to get ahead of them.”

The second game quickly went in Gillette’s favor, unlike in game one.

“We just came out flat,” Ruckman said. “We didn’t put pressure on them at all, and the defense didn’t do their jobs and things like that.”

“In the second game, we just kind of got over-confident and they jumped on us,” Mitchell said. “They’re (Gillette) a good team, but we had a couple guys step in. Lance McCartney came in and pitched really well and we started to pick it up hitting wise and found the gaps. That helped us out a lot.”

In the second game, Mitchell was 2-for-3 with a single and a grand-slam home run. The four-run inside the park blast came in the sixth-inning with the Rangers trailing 10-2.

“I was just hoping I could get around to third at best. I wasn’t expecting a grand slam,” Mitchell said. “I just wanted to get my teammates in and try and battle back. He (Gavin Riener) threw me a good pitch down the middle and I took advantage of it.”

The Rangers would add two more runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 10-8, but that was as close as Laramie would get. Gillette would add five runs in the seventh off of three hits to end any chance of a comeback for Laramie.

With a 3-3 record so far this season, the young Rangers don't have a whole lot to complain about, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.

“I think we have potential,” Ruckman said. “Right now it’s a roller coaster. We’ve won one, lost one, won one, lost one; it’s like we got happy with one victory when we could have had two. I think we need to come out and get fired up every game we play and not just one game.”

The Rangers A squad will be in action again Thursday when they take on the Rawlins Scorpions at Cowboy Field in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.

Riders snap Rangers win streak

by Bobby Abplanalp
Wyoming Sports.org

Gillette seems to have the Laramie Rangers number so far this season.

The AA Rangers American Legion baseball team was cruising along a nine-game winning streak until it faced the defending state champion Roughriders on Friday at Cowboy Field, falling 10-6.

The Rangers are now 10-2 on the year, with both losses coming at the hands of Gillette. The Roughriders beat the Rangers 8-5 in Gillette earlier this year. With the win, Gillette is now 18-10 on the year.

Gillette quickly opened out of the gates with five unanswered runs in the first two innings.

“They got up early,” Rangers manager Sean McKinney said. “They got up on us 5-0, but we didn’t give up, we came right back to them. I think the most important thing is to control our attitudes when we can and to close innings out when we have two outs.”

Laramie scored three runs in the fourth to cut the score to 6-3, but that was as close as the Rangers would get. Their fourth-inning threat was stopped when Anthony Cramer of Gillette struck out left fielder Lance McCartney with two men on to get out of the inning. Laramie would get no closer than the final score.

Second baseman Rylan Harding had a big day hitting the ball, going 2-for-4 with a double and a single, but the loss was tough.

“We can improve on keeping our heads up when we’re down,” Harding said. “We need to keep working on winning whether we are down or up. Know matter what the score is, we need to just keep peddling.”

“We did some pretty good things hitting the ball, but we couldn’t string multiple hits in an inning together,” assistant coach Kyle Deck said. “They (Gillette) did a pretty good job of limiting our innings. We just couldn’t get things going; they would put a stop to it.”

Laramie may not play Gillette again until the state tournament in Rock Springs from July 29-Aug. 2.

“Gillette is good, but they’re beatable just like anybody in this state is,” Harding said. “Every team is beatable on any given day, so we’ll come for them next time. We’ll be head-hunting.”

The Rangers return to action Sunday with a quick turnaround against Torrington Tigers, for a doubleheader beginning at noon in Torrington. On Thursday, Laramie swept the Tigers at Cowboy Field, winning 11-1 and 12-1.

Rangers A fall to Gillette in Casper

CASPER -- The Laramie Rangers A team opened the season with a tough 6-1 loss to the Gillette A team Friday in the Casper tourney.

Gillette scored four runs in the third inning to take control. Laramie's lone run came in the fourth inning.

Laramie finished with five hits in the game by five Rangers -- Taylor Bogges, Josh Peterson, Kyle Alexander, Tyler Loose and Dylan Watson.

Abel Casas took the loss on the mound for Laramie, pitching five innings and giving up five runs on five hits. Kevin Dooley pitched the other two innings, yielding one run on one hit.

Laramie will get back in action on Saturday in the tournament by facing a Montana team at 12:30 p.m. and the Cheyenne A squad at 3 p.m.

McKinney returns to the fold as Rangers keep winning with sweep of Torrington

Richard Anderson photos
At top, Laramie assistant Kyle Deck congratulates Jordan Rhodine after the Rangers completed a double play Thursday against Torrington. At bottom, left, manager Sean McKinney works the third base coaching box.

By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org

Thursday night was just like riding a bicycle for Laramie manager Sean McKinney and assistant coach Kyle Deck.

It was McKinney’s first games back as manager after coaching at Mesa State, and it was Deck’s first time out this season in his customary role as the Rangers top assistant.

They changed coaching boxes -- McKinney at third and Deck at first -- but the results were the same, as the Rangers won their eighth and ninth straight games, thumping Torrington 11-1 and 12-1 in a twin bill at Cowboy Field.

“He and I have the same mind as far as baseball goes,” Deck said. “There was nothing that we had to say to each other. That’s just the way that we played and that is the way we always play, and we’re going to continue to play.”

McKinney got a big opportunity last fall after being named an assistant coach at Mesa State -- his alma mater. But that meant he would have to leave Laramie until the Mavericks season was completed, putting Deck in charge of the program until his return. To complicate matters, Mesa State played longer into the season than ever before, going all of the way to the NCAA Division II World Series, where the Mavericks finished 1-2 (44-15 overall).

With Deck in charge, the Rangers didn’t miss a beat and are now 10-1 on the season.

“That’s why I hired him. I knew he could do it,” McKinney said. “When we first got here three years ago, we had a vision of what we wanted to see and we tried to carry it out in the first two years. Coach Deck has stayed with it. We talked a lot, we had a lot of nights over the phone. I had a chance to do what I did and now I’ve come back into the swing of things with Coach.”

After finishing third at the state tournament last season, McKinney and Deck knew that they would have a talented team coming back. For McKinney, a former Ranger player himself, all he could do in the first part of the season is talk on the telephone with Deck and hear what was going on.

He saw with his own eyes Thursday as the Rangers are off to one of their best starts in years.

“The kids are playing really well and it is exciting for me to see that,” McKinney said. “All of the kids on our team have been in the program since I began, so they know what is expected. Coach Deck has done just an unbelievable job of falling that up, keeping the troops in line and staying with the system that we created three years ago. It’s starting to show.”

Laramie catcher/first baseman Nick Armijo said the team has been playing steady and they are looking forward to getting even better.

“We hadn’t had our head coach here for our first nine games, and we have him now, so it will just keep building from there,” Armijo said.

“Coach Deck has been awesome,” added Laramie pitcher/outfielder Coleton Wilson. “It was good to see Coach McKinney back tonight. Hopefully we will pick right back up and keep going.”

Deck said that although McKinney wasn’t in Laramie, he stayed as close as he could to the program.

“Whenever I had a question with the program, with what to do or with the schedule, I could always give him a call any time of the day or night and he would be right there with the answer,” Deck said. “We’d talk it through and we would come up with the best idea or the best thing for the team.”

McKinney, meanwhile, picked up an “unbelievable experience” in his first season of coaching on the collegiate level under Chris Hanks, who was his coach in his two years (2005-2006) with the Mavericks. McKinney’s duties with Mesa State included being he team’s first base coach, handling the running and bunting games, as well as an assistant infield coach. He also recruited the Northwest and California and took care of travel arrangements and other day-to-day projects.

“I learned a lot. You learn something new everyday in baseball,” McKinney said. “It’s great to watch different levels of baseball and you can kind of mold your own idea of how you want to see things get done.

“We had a great season. We had a great group of kids at Mesa this year and they played well. It is nice for me to come home to a good group of kids. That’s what it is all about, having good kids and good people on your team, and then you can be successful.”

This has also been exciting for Deck, who ran the day-to-day operations for the Rangers for the past nine months.

“It was a great experience for me, for sure,” Deck said. “It’s not over, obviously, but now it is like having two had coaches on the team. It is nice to have some of that experience. Now, I know what he has had to go through in the past two years first hand.”

McKinney certainly likes what he sees from his team and is anxious to tap into its potential the rest of the season.

“We have a goal to win a state championship and we came awful close last year,” McKinney said. “Now, we need to push one more mile.”

Rangers 11, Tigers 1 (5 innings)
Behind the solid pitching from Wilson, the Rangers jumped on Torrington in the opener with five runs in the first inning and never looked back.

Wilson had his best outing of the season, scattering three hits, walking three and striking out five.

“I guess I am still kind of getting in shape from my (shoulder) surgery,” Wilson said. “My arm feels great, but my body is still tired. I’m trying to get in shape, and today helped because I was able to go five innings.”

Offensively, Jon Sorenson, Armijo and Kevin Dooley all had two hits, with Armijo driving in three runs.

Rangers 12, Tigers 1 (5 innings)
Nolan Carter matched Wilson with a three-hitter of his own in picking up his third win on the mound this season.

Laramie again jumped on Torrington early and put the game away with an eight-run second inning. The Tigers lone run off of Carter came in the fourth inning.

Rylan Harding led the Rangers with three hits, with Brody Hilgenkamp and Sorenson adding a pair of hits. Sorenson also knocked in two runs.

“We’re playing really well,” Wilson said. “The guys hit the ball well and Nolan pitched a great game. Good pitching always helps, I guess.”

Up next
The Rangers host Gillette on Friday in a single nine-inning contest that begins at 4 p.m. at Cowboy Field.

Gillette, the defending state champions, handed Laramie its lone loss of the season, 8-5.