Post 6 hammers Rangers

By Wyoming Sports.org

ROCK SPRINGS -- Evidently, what goes around comes around for the Laramie Rangers.

A day after blasting the Casper Oilers 17-2 to open the Wyoming State American Legion Baseball Tournament, the Rangers got a taste of their own medicine when Cheyenne Post 6 rolled to a 21-3 win in five innings on Thursday.

With the loss, the Rangers, 27-15, will face Wheatland Friday at 12:30 p.m. in a loser-out game. The winner of that game will face the winner of Powell-Cody at 4 p.m. Cheyenne, 49-14, plays Gillette at 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the title game.

A competitive first inning quickly turned into a blowout, as Post 6 broke the game open with a 10-run third inning. Laramie starting pitcher Jordan Rhodine gave up four runs on six hits in the first inning, but helped his own cause in the bottom half of the inning with a three-run home run to make it a one-run game.

But it was all Cheyenne from that point, as Post 6 scored four times in the second inning and then used the 10-run third to end any doubt.

Laramie manager Sean McKinney said on the KOWB post-game radio show that Post 6 did a good job of beating the Rangers at their own game.

“We tried to take it to them like we did against Casper, but Cheyenne did a better job of that,” McKinney said. “Cheyenne came out on fire. They dictated everything and they didn’t let Jordan get deep in the count. When he was trying to get ahead, they were right on his pitches. They just beat us at our own game.”

Post 6 pounded out 19 hits in the game, led by Matt Pullos’ four hits and four RBI. Brandon Nimmo, Shay Cheever and Andrew Fanning all had three hits each. Nimmo had a two-run home run in the fifth and Luke Haugh added a grand slam home run in the 10-run third.

Aaron Smith picked up the win for Post 6, scattering eight hits.

Coley Wilson led the Rangers with two hits. Rhodine knocked in all three runs with his first-inning home run. Jon Sorenson and Tyler Mitchell both had doubles in the game, with Skyler Joy, Rylan Harding and Nolan Carter all adding singles.

Rhodine took the loss on the mound, giving up 12 hits and 14 runs (13 earned) in two-plus innings. Nick Armijo gave up two hits and four runs without getting an out, with Brody Hilgenkamp giving up one run in two innings and Kevin Dooley two runs in one inning.

“It’s disappointing. It’s the state tournament and we are in the winner’s bracket playing Cheyenne and we came out played like that,” McKinney said. “I think our hearts were in the right spot today, but not much else was. That was probably part of the mental block of playing Cheyenne. They are a very good team and they do a lot of things right. I don’t fault the kids, they were trying. But to top them, you have to be really mentally and physically prepared to play a team like this.”
　
McKinney said he told his team after the loss that the game is over and they need to pick it up and make sure they are ready for the Lobos.

"We’ve played Wheatland a number of times and they are a very good ball club, and they will come out swinging and ready to go,” he said. “This game could be for the single A berth, so that is a tremendous honor for any team, so we should be excited for that. We need to refocus, come out firing and match Wheatland’s intensity, because they are going to be excited to play us.”