It wasn’t dominant or pretty, but a workman-like effort helped the Laramie Rangers win their South District Tournament opener 15-6 over the Riverton Raiders.

Laramie manager Rich Wilson said, “I felt we came out just like we wanted to… Work hard and keep working and don’t let up, and you know, good things will happen.”

Thursday in Rock Springs, the Rangers trailed 2-0 and 4-2 before they took control. In the fourth inning, they scored six times on three hits. The big blow was a three-run double by Nate Burman. Laramie also took advantage of two errors and two walks.

With an 11-6 lead, Laramie added insurance in the eighth. They scored four runs, which included a Reid Baty bases clearing double to left field.

The Rangers finished with 14 hits, but also drew nine walks and capitalized on six Raider errors.

Nate Hill was solid on the mound. He tossed seven innings for the victory, his fourth of the season. Hill allowed six runs on 11 hits. More importantly, he walked nobody and struck out eight.

Noah Hammontree threw the final two frames.

The offense was also led by Hill. He had four hits and an RBI. Kacey Bernaski added two hits and four RBI.

Laramie will face Green River in the semifinals Friday at 4 p.m.

Wilson said, “They’re going to come at us. They’ll have their number one pitcher. They sat there and watched us play, and they’ve played against us, so they have a pretty good scouting report.”

The Rangers beat the Knights 11-3 on June 29 in Laramie. It was their only meeting this year.

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