The Rangers swept the Mad River Machine 13-1 and 12-1 at Carroll high school on Sunday. Several key contributors on both sides of the ball helped the Rangers win its 4th straight contest.

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Kenny Owens got the ball to start game one and was nearly flawless in putting together his best performance in a Rangers uniform. Owens faced 13 batters in 4 innings of work, allowing just one hit and a career-high 5 strike outs for his first win of the season. Brandon Saylor relieved Owens and tossed the final three frames for his first career save. Saylor allowed two singles and K'd three batters.

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The offense got things in motion in the top of the first as Nick Gilmore was hit by a pitch from top draft pick Alex Lockwood. A wild pitch and a ground out later, Gilmore scored on a ground out from Ben Schooler. Cal Walters then walked and stole second and scored on a wild throw after Kyle Moyer singled. The score stayed 2-0 until the top of the 4th. 

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Eric Becker reached on an error and scored on Cooper Nolte's double. Nolte would score on Jonmarc Lippincott's one-out single. Michael Seebock, running for Lippincott, later scored on a sac fly from Rob Pederson. The Rangers lead increased to 9-0 in the fifth as the Rangers batted around. Nolte's 3-run HR, his first of the season, highlighted the 4-run inning. Nolte added an RBI single in the sixth as the Rangers built the lead to 11-0. Two more scored in the 7th for a 13-0 advantage. The lone Machine tally came on a throwing error on a stolen base attempt in the bottom of the seventh.

 

Game two featured a pair of staff aces in the Rangers' Joe Becker and the Machine's Andrew Madlinger. Becker gave up a leadoff single to Wes McGarry. With one out, Lockwood hit a fly ball to centerfielder Kyle Moyer, who made the catch and doubled off the runner at first to end the inning.  The Rangers built on that momentum in the bottom of the first as Rob Pederson and Ben Schooler had back-to-back doubles. Moyer stayed hot at the plate with an RBI single as the Rangers led 2-0.

 

The Machine threatened in the top of the second as Tyler Bundy singled and Zachary Seagraves doubled. Becker then issued a pair of comeback ground balls, the second of which resulted in an out at the plate. Unfortunately, an inning-ending groundball was misplayed giving the Machine their lone run of the game.  Becker settled in and blanked the Machine over the next 3 innings.

 

The Rangers offense added some support with a 6-run fourth inning. Nolte reached on an error and Moyer followed with a single. Eric Becker then smacked a 3-run HR, his first as a Ranger. Pederson would add a 2-run double and Nolte smoked a run-scoring double as well.  

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In the bottom of the 6th, the Rangers pushed 4 more runs across. Kenny Owens picked up his first hit of his career, and Joe Becker added a pinch-hit single as well. Nick Gilmore doubled home a run and Pederson doubled for the 4th time in his last 5 plate appearances. Nolte finished out the scoring with a sac fly. Ryan Qvick tossed the final two scoreless innings, allowing a pair of walks and striking out two. 

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