Sun. 6/28/2015
Games 12, 13
Athletics 8, Rangers 7
Game 1
The Rangers leave the tying and winning runs on in both ends of a doubleheader loss to the Fairborn Athletics on Sunday, June 28 at Legion field.
In game one, the Rangers fell quickly behind 8-0 before mounting a comeback. Steve Marshall singled in the bottom of the third and scored on Robert Riley’s groundout.
In the fifth inning, Marshall and Brennen Glass singled to start the inning and both scored on Riley’s 2-run single to cut the lead to 8-3. Rob Armour added an RBI single and Glass hit a 3-run home run in the sixth to bring the Rangers within a run at 8-7.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Schubert singled to start the frame and moved in scoring position after a walk to Kody Barth. After a fielder’s choice, the runners moved up a base to put the tying run at third and the winning run at second. However, the A’s reliever induced a ground ball to third from Jonmarc Lippincott. The third baseman threw out Lippincott at first and the relay back to home plate just beat a sliding Schubert to end the game.
Athletics 10, Rangers 9,
Game 2
The Rangers got on the board first in game two, scoring twice in the top of the second. Robert doubled and later scored on an error and Lippincott added a sac fly. However, the A’s answered with a 5-spot in the bottom half of the inning off of 5 Rangers’ errors.
The Rangers regained the lead in the fourth after batting around. Barth walked and Nick Gilmore singled. Lippincott hit another sac fly. After a walk to Shawn Schmitt, Brandon Riley doubled in Gilmore. Marshall scored Schmitt on a sac fly to tie the game. Glass and Schubert would add RBI singles later in the inning to give the Rangers a 7-5 advantage. But the A’s took advantage of two more fielding miscues to take the lead back at 8-7 after four innings.
Schmitt’s RBI single in the fifth tied the game once again before the A’s grabbed the lead again with two in the bottom half of the fifth. Both teams failed to score in the sixth, bringing up another opportunity for the Rangers to win it in their final AB.
Lippincott led off the 7th with a double. Schmitt then roped a seed up the middle, but the A’s second baseman went horizontal to rob him of a hit. A pop fly to third looked to ruin the Rangers’ chances of scoring. However, Marshall singled home Gilmore, who pinch-ran, and the Rangers were within one run of tying the game. Glass was intentionally walked for the second time in a row. Robert Riley was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. But the A’s got Schubert to pop up to short to thwart the final bid at a comeback.
Offensive highlights: Steve Marshall 4-7, 3 runs, 2RBI, sac; Brennen Glass 4-6, 3 runs, 4RBI, HR, 2b, SB, 3BB; Robert Riley 3-8, 3RBI, 2b; Ben Schubert 4-9, RBI; Nick Gilmore 3-7, 4 runs, 3SB; Jonmarc Lippincott 2-6, 2RBI, 2 sac, 2b.
Historical Notes: Brandon Riley’s hit streak extends to 31 games.