Steiner’s Hot Bat Helps Rangers Roll Past Torrington

Albert Steiner had four hits and four RBI’s to lead the Laramie Rangers to a 13-2 victory over Torrington Tuesday night at Cowboy Field.

Laramie (13-16) won their fourth straight game. Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, a late change Monday night switched it to one nine-inning game. It took just six-and-a-half innings before Laramie invoked the 10-run mercy rule.

Rangers’ manager Brandon Ruckman said it was a good win for them.

“I think the thing I was most impressed with is just scoring runs every inning. They did a great job of that. We haven’t done that pretty much all season, so that was good.”

Steiner’s first RBI-single plated Blake Moore in the first gave Laramie a 1-0 lead. Reid Baty added another RBI-single. After a run in the second and third innings, the Rangers were up 4-1. They scored three runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Steiner added RBI-singles in the second, fourth and fifth.

It was all part of a 12-hit attack. Moore added two hits and scored four times, while Caleb Eaton had two hits and two RBI’s and David Coulthard finished with two hits and an RBI. Laramie also drew six walks and took advantage of eight Torrington errors.

Coulthard started and was the winning pitcher. He went four and one-third innings. Coulthard allowed one unearned run on five hits. He walked two, hit two batters and struck out four. Reston Morehouse and Michael Schutterle closed out the last two and two-thirds in relief.

Ruckman said, “The pitchers did their job. I think David, Reston, and Michael put together a good effort, like, let them put the ball in play and it worked out.”

The Rangers also had only one error defensively, which has been a focus of Ruckman’s the last couple of weeks.

“We’ve been focused, ready to go, more prepared, thinking about what they’re doing before the pitch, and I think that’s helping them have cleaner defensive performances. That’s helping us (in this win streak).”

Torrington finished with two runs on just six hits. Cameron Murphy and Gabe Mitchell had two hits apiece.

The Rangers hope to carry the momentum forward with this weekend’s Dooley Oil Classic Thursday through Sunday at Cowboy Field.