Rangers split at Scottsbluff

By Wyoming Sports.org

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. – The Laramie Rangers bounced back from a tough opening loss to host WESTCO, to down Denver Mullen in their second game of the Scottsbluff Screen Printing Wood Bat Classic on Friday.

The Rangers fell to WESTCO 7-6 in the first game of the day, before bouncing back behind the strong pitching from Coley Wilson for a 7-2 decision over Mullen.

Laramie, 20-10, will close the tournament against Cody at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and against Rock Springs at 3 p.m. and Fort Morgan, Colo., at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

It was the second straight week that the Rangers had faced the Scottsbluff team to begin a tourney, as it hosted the Zephyrs to begin the Firecracker Invitational in Laramie. In that game, the Zephyrs rolled past Laramie 9-2.

This game was much more competitive, as WESTCO won the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh. The Rangers struggled defensively in the contest, with six errors that resulted in just four earned runs.

After trailing 2-0 in the top of the first inning, WESTCO ran off six straight runs before the Rangers tied the game at 6-6 in the sixth inning. But the Zephyrs came back to win the game off of reliever Skyler Joy, who gave up three this and hit a batter in the inning.

Jordan Rhodine started the game and gave up nine hits and six runs in six innings.

The Rangers finished with 11 hits in the game, led by Joy and second baseman Rylan Harding with three hits each. Harding had a pair of RBI, with Brody Hilgenkamp, Rhodine, Nolan Carter and Kevin Dooley all driving in one run.

The second game against Mullen was a different story, as the Rangers used strong pitching from Wilson, committing just two errors and then exploding for seven runs in the fourth inning.

Wilson finished with a complete-game five-hitter, giving up single runs in the first and seventh innings. He didn’t walk a batter, striking out four.

Harding paced the Rangers with two hits and an RBI, with Hilgenkamp driving in two runs. Joy, Wilson, Carter and Nick Armijo all had RBIs in that fourth inning.