By Jared Schmeltzer
Reporter
After getting off to a 0-2 start to the year, the Rangers would win two straight as they beat Whittlesey 11-6 in yesterday’s home game. With pitching being the story of their first win, the offense is what gave the Rangers the edge yesterday afternoon.
Trevor Asmundsen would get the bats going right away as he led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to the right center field gap. That would be followed up by a walk with a wild pitch advancing Asmundsen to third base in the process. A fielders choice to the short stop would be good for a run as Asmundsen came across to score. Whittlesey would respond in the top of the second scoring one run to tie the game. The game didn’t stay tied for long with a double and a fielders choice leaving a runner on first base for the Rangers, Kyle McMullen came to the plate and hit a home run over the left center fence giving the Rangers a 3-1 lead in the third. The score would be 3-2 after the fourth inning after Whittlesey was able to score another run, however Merrill would be able to get that run right back in the fifth after an error and walk left runners on first and third, the Rangers were able to capitalize with a single making the score 4-2.
Whittlesey would get their only lead of the game in the top of the seventh inning taking advantage of a few walks and two errors in the inning to score three runs taking a 5-4 lead. The lead wouldn’t last for Whittlesey with an explosion of offense from Merrill in the bottom of the inning giving them a 9-5 lead. The bottom of the inning would start with a single by Chase Nelson followed up by another single and a walk to load the bases. Another walk would be good for a run and a tie game but with a double coming directly after, the Rangers took the lead scoring two more. A base hit to follow up the double would also score two runs. The scoring wouldn’t be done there. After Whittlesey scored one more run in the eighth, the Rangers got two runs in their half of the inning both runners scoring on wild pitches making the score 11-6.
Doing the pitching for the Rangers was Justin Pyan going all nine innings, walking eight, allowing nine hits and six runs on his way to a win.
The top offensive performances include Jared Schmeltzer (3H, 2RBI, 3R, 2SB), Brad Kanitz (2H, 2RBI, 1R, Double), Trevor Asmundsen (2H, 3R, Double), Chase Nelson (2H, 1R, 2BB), and Kyle McMullen (1H, 2RBI, 2R, HR).