Sun. 8/19/2018
Games 24-25
Rangers 15, Cardinals 0, game 1, 5 inn.
Rangers 5, Cardinals 1, game 2
Just like the end of the 2017 regular season, the Rangers used victories on the final day to catapult them into the No. 3 playoff seed. Great pitching and defense led the Rangers to a doubleheader sweep of the Cardinals on Sunday, August 19 at Centerville high school.
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Luke Trubee pitched in game one and was nearly perfect, only allowing a leadoff single in the fifth inning and facing the minimum 15 batters en route to a 15-0 run-rule in 5 innings.
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The Rangers loaded up the bases in the first inning as Cooper Nolte, Ben Schooler, and Ryan Kemp all reached base and scored. Schooler's 2-out, 2-run double in the second made it 5-0. The Rangers sent 13 batters to bat in the third inning, scoring 8 times. Highlights came from a 3-run double from Ian Rike, a run-scoring double from Rob Pederson, and RBI single from Schooler. The Rangers plated the final two runs in the bottom of the fourth on RBIs from Rike and Nolte.
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Ryan Kemp was nearly as flawless in a game 2 start that saw the Rangers win 5-1. The only run for the Cardinals came in the bottom of the 7th after Brandon Cusick reached on a fielder's choice with two outs, and an errant pickoff moved him to third, and a wild pitch allowed him to score. Kemp finished with career-tying best 10 strikeouts.
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The Rangers, who struggled earlier in the season to Cardinals game 2 starter Josh Cvetkovich, did just enough in game two to pull out the win. In the second inning, Luke Trubee drove in a run with a fielder's choice, and Chris Ridl's sac fly plated another. Three more scored in the top of the 6th. Rob Pederson led off with a walk, and Cooper Nolte followed with a double. Joe Becker pinch hit and roped a 2-run double to left-center. One out later, Brandon Marshall singled home Becker for the final tally of the day.
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The Rangers will face the Royals in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday, August 25.
Offensive highlights: Cooper Nolte 3-for-7, 3 runs, RBI, double; Ben Schooler 2-for-5, 2 runs, 3RBI, double; Cody Pelfrey 2-for-5, 2 runs, double; Ian Rike 2-for-5, 3 runs, 4RBI, double.
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Historical Notes: Shawn Schmitt is 7 strikeouts away from 900 Ks for his career.