Ranger continues hot streak sweeping NCTC for six straight wins
Riding a four-game conference winning streak for the first time in recent memory, Ranger was looking to keep things rolling taking on the winless in conference play North Central Texas Lions. RC scored a touchdown in the second inning of Game 1 and held off a late Lions attack to win, 8-6. The second game looked to be a run away until NCTC again mounted a late-inning rally only to have the Rangers respond and extend its winning streak to six in a row.
GAME 1
NCTC started the series by jumping out 1-0 in the first. Ranger quickly took the lead in the second using a pair of doubles and base on balls and hit-by-pitch. Not done, RC went on to score five more runs in the inning highlighted by a JJ Padilla 3-run triple. Ranger turned a 1-0 deficit into a 7-1 lead going to the third.
The Lions cut the lead to four headed to the final inning. Two one-out walks started the NCTC rally that led to the RC lead being cut to 8-5. Ricky Gerik came on and picked up the save when NCTC tried to steal a run by pulling a little league play only to have the game end when the runner breaking home from third was thrown out.
GAME 2
Leading 8-0 headed to the seventh, Ranger saw NCTC cut into the lead with a three-run top half of the inning, Winkleman answered back with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning and the action was just getting started.
With a 10-3 lead, it looked like RC was going to sail to a sixth win in a row. The Lions had other ideas. NCTC used some small ball to get within three runs with two outs, they decided that was taking to long and closed the inning with a three-run home run and cut a seven-run deficit to just 10-9.
Down to their final out of the inning, it looked like RC was going to take a single run lead to the final inning. Daniel Goncalves changed that with one swing when his double extended the Rangers lead to 12-9.
Gerik came in for the save and after an error started the inning, he didn't allow a ball out of the infield to end the game.
BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
On the day:
Winkleman 2HR/3H/7RBIs
Padilla 3B/3RBIs
Goncalves 2H/2RBIs
Caden Rosholt HR/RBI
Gerik 2 saves
Amado Almanzar W/6IP/3H/0ER
Bo Dallas W/5IP/7Ks
The Game 1 win gave coach Scott Norwood 450 career wins
SCHEDULE SAYS
Ranger will look to push its winning streak to seven or even eight when they travel to NCTC on Saturday.