Richard Anderson photo
The Laramie Rangers return home Wednesday and Thursday with a pair of doubleheaders against Sheridan and Green River respectively.
By Richard Anderson
Wyoming Sports.org
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. -- Finishing unbeaten was the Laramie Rangers final goal on Sunday to conclude the Scottsbluff Screen Printing Wood Bat Classic.
The Rangers came up short on their goal, but still came away with a nice 4-1 record for the three-day invitational, as they split their final two games, losing to Ogallala, Neb., 9-4, but rallying to edge the Buckley Bombers of Aurora, Colo., 7-6.
Laramie, which hosts Sheridan and Green River in a pair of mid-week doubleheaders, is now 18-21 on the season.
Laramie might not have finished unbeaten, but the Rangers won their first tournament of the season and first in a few years.
"For the last few weeks, we've had tournaments each weekend," Laramie manager Sean McKinney said. "Since the Dooley Oil Classic, we've focused on trying to win them. We went 3-2 (at the Dooley Oil Classic), and with our Firecracker, we wanted to win that one. We were a game away from winning that one. With this being our last tournament in a row in this stretch, we wanted to do everything we could to win this one. We came out 4-1 and did exactly what we tried to do. I'm really proud of the way the kids played this weekend."
After giving up just one run in their first three games of the tournament, it appeared as if Laramie was on its way to another low-scoring contest, tied with Ogallala 1-1 after four innings. Laramie starting pitcher Jordan Rhodine, however, gave up a pair of runs in the fifth and Ogallala pulled away with three runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings off of reliever Rylan Harding and Skyler Joy.
Laramie did finish with 10 hits in the game, led by Sean Gardea and Joy with two hits each. Coley Wilson also knocked in a pair of runs.
The Rangers continued to struggle a bit early against Buckley, trailing 5-0 after four innings before getting back in the game with a run in the fifth and five runs in the sixth. After Buckley tied the game at 6-6 in the top of the seventh, Laramie won the game when Max Schoen scored on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh.
Mike Garner had a pair of doubles and an RBI for Laramie, with Schoen chipping in with three singles and Joy contributing a three-run triple in that five-run sixth inning.
Wilson, who won a three-hit shutout gem over Denver Mullen to begin the tournament in Friday, started the game on Sunday and struggled, giving up four hits and four runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings. Jason Rodriguez pitched 2/3 on an inning and Harding got the win, going the final four innings, giving up four hits and one run (unearned).
"Of course, we would have liked to go 5-0 and win that game, but I thought we came out a little sluggish on Sunday," McKinney said. "It was really hot there and it was a long weekend for the kids. But we pulled it out when we needed to in that second game. You can't win them all, but we have done a pretty good job of winning close games lately. We've won our last four one-run games. That is a big step for us because at the beginning of the year we were losing one-run games. For us to start winning close games, that is a key for us and our success for the rest of the season."
Laramie will host Sheridan in a twinbill Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Green River Thursday, beginning at 4 p.m.
McKinney said he likes to play teams from all over the region and save the Wyoming teams for the end.
"I just feel that getting that outside competition helps us at the very end," he said. "Sheridan is going to be very good, and the same for Green River. They (Green River) joined our conference, so we're going to have to have a good showing this week and really get after it. We need to win these games."
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