Rangers use long ball to earn split vs. Howard

Ranger traveled to Big Spring to play a crossover series against Howard College and the two teams hooked up for a pair of tight games filled with drama, home runs and a walkoff win. 

GAME 1

With Just three outs remaining, Ranger had kept Howard off the scoreboard, that changed quickly when the Hawks hit a home run to start the inning and cut the Rangers lead to 3-1. It looked as if HC was mounting a rally when a single followed and brought the tying run to the plate with nobody out, however, Ricky Gerik recovered by striking out the next two batters and inducing a routine ground ball to end the game.

Ranger built its lead by scoring single runs in the second, fourth and fifth. Tucker Burton went deep to open the scoring and Noah Winkleman followed with a solo shot in the fourth.

Winkleman and Burton each finished with a hit and RBI.

Amado Almanzar picked up the win, he went five innings allowed just two hits and struckout eight. 

Gerik earned the save.

GAME 2

After combining to score just four runs in Game 1, the second game of the doubleheader went to the top of the ninth with Howard leading 8-5. Ranger got right to work cutting into the deficit with three-straight singles, the third by Anthony Huggins brought RC to within 8-6. With one out, but the bases reloaded following a walk, Winkleman singled and scored the tying runs that evened the score at 8-8.

After picking up the save in the opener, it looked like Gerik was going to get the game to extra innings, but when a two-out hit by pitch extended the inning and moved the winning run to second base things got interesting. The Hawks took advantage of the extra life and picked up the win with a walkoff single, 9-8.

BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX SCORE

Winkleman had himself a day. He homered in both games and finished with a total of 6 hits, 2 home runs, a double and five RBIs.

In Game 2, Kaleb Thompson and Victor Bueno had two hits and an RBI.

Riley Wohlschlaeger had three hits and an RBI.