Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
Ranger Baseball split its last two Dairyland games, dropping a 7-2 contest to conference heavyweight Marshfield on Wednesday but bouncing back with a 9-2 triumph over Rock Falls on Sunday. The Rangers are currently sixth in the 13-team league, but just two games out of first place at 7-4.
In a rather unique twist to open Sunday’s home bout, the Rangers matched their runs to the inning scored en route to an early 6-0 lead in the third. Even more interesting is that of the Grunenwald trio accounting for three of those scores.
Ty Grunenwald’s run put Merrill on the board right away in the first. Brad Kanitz and Troy Pieper added a pair in the second. Alex and Chris Grunenwald made it 5-0 Rangers and Pieper came through with another score to top off at 6.
Another three run melee led off by Alex Cordova in the fifth, iced the cake for the Rangers.
“This was a good win for us” Rangers manager Shawn Schultz said.
“A bunch of young guys from here in town took us to 7 and 4 in the league. We took an early lead and played well enough the whole way through to get the win.”
RFS: 000 000 020
MRL: 123 030 00
WP: Alex Grunenwald (2H, 2R, 9K, 5BB, 2R, 2ERin7IP). Hitting: Alex Cordova (2/4, 2B, BB, RBI); Troy Pieper (2/4, 2R, RBI); Alex Grunenwald (2/4, R, SB, RBI).
Chapped by the Chapparals
Wednesday’s road trip to Marshfield turned sour early as the Chapparals blasted out six runs right away in the first.
Alex Cordova managed to put the Rangers on the board in the top of the first before the Marshfield storm hit, and Dylan Schielke plated the Ranger’s last score late in the fifth.
“We had a rough inning and that set the tone for the whole game.” Schultz adds. “I couldn’t get an out in the bottom and after that it was pretty even. Six runs is hard to overcome”
Shultz took the loss for the Rangers (9H, 7R, 7K, BB, 7ERin7I)
Hitting: Cordova (1/4, R, 2B, BB); Garrett Pagel (1/3, RBI); Dylan Schielke (1/4, R)