Breaking the Drought: Ranger College Baseball Ends Slump with Doubleheader Split

VERNON, Texas — The Ranger College baseball team ended their 11-game slide with a doubleheader split against Vernon College on April 9, 2025. 

Game 1 Recap:

Ranger College kicked off Game 1 strong in the first inning with a solo home run by Ashton Fisher. Tui Amosa followed with a three-run homer, and Carter Hubbard added an RBI single. Vernon College managed a single run in the bottom of the second on a passed ball. Ranger answered in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly from Iann Cobos and an RBI groundout by Hubbard. However, Vernon fought back in the bottom of the third with a five-run rally.

Both teams tacked on a run in the fourth inning, but Ranger solidified their lead with two runs in the fifth and another in the seventh, sealing the victory at 11-7.

Amosa led the Rangers offensively with four RBIs on two hits. Starting pitcher Landon Gutierrez secured the win, allowing six hits and seven runs (four earned) over four innings while striking out three. Reliever Wade Huckaby took over in the fourth and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out two.

Game 2 Recap:

Game 2 was a back-and-forth affair. Ranger struck first when Jeremiah Torres hit an RBI double, but Vernon answered emphatically, scoring seven runs on seven hits in the first inning. Ranger chipped away with two runs in the second on Fisher's two-run double, though Vernon added one more run in the bottom half.

Hubbard's sacrifice fly scored a run in the third for Ranger, but Vernon again responded with a run in the fourth. In the fifth inning, Ranger narrowed the gap with three runs, driven by an RBI from Koen Piepkorn and a two-run hit from Fisher. The Rangers added two more in the sixth, but Vernon matched with four of their own. Ranger scored three in the seventh and rallied in the ninth on Andrew Perez's RBI single, yet fell short, losing 14-13.

Eli Heyen started for the Rangers, allowing 11 hits and 12 runs over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three. Heyen leads the team with 64 strikeouts this season.

The Rangers and Chaparrals will meet again for another doubleheader on Saturday, April 12, at Ellis Burks Field in Ranger, Texas. First pitch is set for noon.