The Rangers just didn't have enough firepower at the plate to overcome a red-hot Slammers ballclub, falling in both ends of a DH by scores of 7-3 and 5-1 at Bellbrook HS on Sunday, July 16.

​

Game 1 saw a solid pitching duel between the Rangers' Joe Becker and the Slammers' Mark Hadaya. Both sides hung zeroes on the board over the first two innings. The Slammers struck first in the third inning and scored on a couple of Rangers' miscues. But the Rangers answered in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI single from Ryan Kemp.

​

Becker threw one bad pitch all game, but unfortunately it was on the wrong end of a Todd Barhorst 3-run home run in the fifth inning. The Rangers tried to get those runs back in the bottom half of the frame as Nick Gilmore singled home a run, and Ben Schooler's grounder plated another. Unfortunately, the Rangers left the bases full in the 6th and had no answer for Jon Venters in the 7th. The Slammers added some insurance runs in the 7th to win 7-3.

​

Game 2 started out promising as Eric Becker singled home Nick Gilmore with a run in the top of the first. But the Rangers could only muster one more hit off of Jeff Beall the remainder of the game. Ryan Kemp suffered the loss, striking out 6 over 5 innings. Ryan Meinert tossed a scoreless sixth inning.