Rangers Split and Sweep Weekend Action

The Laramie Rangers won three of four games over the weekend in legion baseball between Laramie and Rock Springs.

Laramie (6-12) split their home doubleheader Friday night at Cowboy Field versus the Casper Oilers but swept Rock Springs Archie Hay Post 24 on the road Saturday.

In Friday’s twin bill, the Rangers offense showed up in force in a 19-9 victory in game one. Laramie broke it open with a nine-run first inning. Will Yates and Caleb Eaton each hit three-run triples. The Rangers added nine more runs over the next two innings and led 18-6. Casper stayed alive until Logan Pickard’s bases-loaded RBI single in the sixth ended the game.

Blake Moore, Yates and Pickard all had three hits and three RBI’s to lead the Laramie attack. They also took advantage of nine walks, five errors by the Oilers and three hit batters.

Reid Baty went five-and-a-third innings for the victory on the mound. It was his first start of the season.

The nightcap saw Casper steadily pull away for a 17-8 win. It was 2-2 after the first when the Oilers took the lead for good with four runs in the second. The Rangers pulled within 10-8 on Matt Smith’s bases-clearing triple, but Casper finished with seven unanswered runs over the final three frames.

Moore and Yates had two hits apiece. Ramon Gomez started and took the loss.

Laramie manager Brandon Ruckman was okay with the split.

“I obviously wanted two wins, but I’ll settle for a split. They’re a good team. They’ve beaten some good teams in the state, and we saw probably one of their better pitchers tonight, which we need to gear up for him for state. We might see him again. Definitely some good things, but still defensively we’re struggling a little bit, and we need to figure that out.”

Ruckman said they’re not panicking, but they need to correct it in the next month.

Saturday, the Rangers rallied and won both games in Rock Springs, 15-6, and 13-4.

Down 3-1 in the opener, Laramie scored three in the third and got the lead. They added six runs in the fourth for a 10-3 lead. Reid Baty’s three-run home run in the seventh provided the final margin.

David Coulthard went the distance for the victory. He allowed six runs, two earned, on 12 hits. Coulthard struck out three and walked two while throwing 100 pitches. Moore led the offense with three hits and three runs scored.

The Rangers scored nine runs over the final three innings for the victory in game two. Baty had a two-run home run in the fourth. Rock Springs tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the frame. Caleb Eaton scored on a passed ball for the go-ahead run. Laramie took advantage of several passed balls and wild pitches that produced runs.

Eaton had four hits and two RBI’s, while Baty added two hits and three RBI’s. Blake Moore got the win in relief of Eaton, who was the starter. He allowed one run on three hits over three innings.

The Rangers return to action Tuesday with a home doubleheader versus Rock Springs Archie Hay Post 24 starting at 3 p.m. from Cowboy Field.