Rangers split high-scoring doubleheader against NCTC

GAINESVILLE, Texas – Ranger traveled to North Central Texas and the two teams combined to score 47 runs in just 16 innings. Ryan Dufrene and Austin Stokes each drove in a pair of runs to lead Ranger over the Lions 10-7. Game 2 featured three innings that each team scored at least six runs in their half of the inning. NC had two of the three innings go in their favor on the way to a 17-13 win.

DECIDING MOMENTS

Game 1: Ranger led just 4-3 and with two outs in the fifth, it looked like the home team was going to stay within just one swing of the bat. J.J. Avalos extended the inning with a walk, which turned out to be a huge base on balls because it brought Dufrene to the plate who homered to extended the lead to 6-3. Sebastian Battle kept the inning going with a double and came around to score on a Hagen Tucker single. Tucker then scored from first on a Christian Sanjurjo double, which gave RC an 8-3 lead. Ranger added a pair of runs in the sixth.

Game 2: It seemed that North Texas broke the game open with a 6-run bottom of the second. Ranger used the combination of four singles, three walks and a pair of errors to score 6-runs of their own in the top of the third. RC still led 11-7 in the bottom of the sixth, then Jake Georgiades jumpstarted the Lions with a solo home run to lead off the inning. NC scored five more runs before Luke Morton came to the plate with two runners on. His 3-run home capped the inning and gave NC a 16-11 lead.

BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX SCORE

Rico Carrasco: 4 hits/4 RBIs.

Sanjurjo: 3 hits/4 RBIs.

Battle: 4 hits/3 RBIs.

Dufrene: 3 hits/HR/2 RBIs.

Stokes: 2 hits/2 RBIs.

Nolan Gazouski: 2 RBIs.

Avalos: 2 RBIs.

Josh Hendrickson: 6 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts.

SCHEDULE SAYS

Ranger hosts North Central Texas on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.