TOP 10 PLAYOFF SERIES (2010 - 2019)
#1 - 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP
The Rangers were able to hang with the 2012 Cy Young winner, survive a game 2 meltdown, and emerge victorious in a decisive game 3 to win its second MVABL Championship crown on Sunday, September 23 at Howell Field over the Ohio Mariners.
The first game of the championship series was held on Saturday afternoon, after an initial weather delay, which turned into a blustery afternoon of baseball. Joe Becker and Matt Klaus battled it out for 10 innings. The Rangers took a lead in the top of the 10th. Klaus walked James Robinson with one out in the top of the 10th. Becker would run for James Robinson, and was able to beat out a fielder’s choice from Josh Emmel. Jim Brown stepped in and slapped a run-scoring single to right to put the Rangers in the lead at 6-5. But PJ Dobbins answered again for the Mariners as he led off with a single in the bottom of the 10th and promptly stole second. Matt Piskor delivered his fourth hit of the game and third RBI with an RBI double to tie the game at 6-6 with nobody out. Becker was forced to walk Nic Watkins intentionally. Joe then got Toby Stewart to fly out and struck out Matt Klaus and Tim Sullivan swinging to keep the game alive for another inning. With both starters done for the day, both coaches looked to the pen for help. Julius Storey came in for the Mariners and got the first out of the inning. But then he plunked Robert Riley and gave up an infield single to Zach Carroll. Staten was then walked to load the bases. Ben Schooler then hit a dribbler back to the mound that was mishandled allowing Riley to score. Carroll would also come plateward on a passed ball for an 8-6 cushion. Shawn Schmitt came in relief of the Rangers, allowed a two-out triple to Casey Waterhouse, but got Chris Musick to ground out to end the game. Joe Becker picked up the win, tossing 10 innings and striking out 11. With nightfall approaching and no light key, game 2 (and 3) would have to wait for another day.
The Rangers had their opportunities in game two but ultimately couldn't find a way to drive in key runs as they faltered 12-8. The stage was set for an exciting game 3. The Mariners turned to rookie Julius Storey who bested the Athletics in the Buckeye Division championship finale. The Rangers countered with MVABL Hall-of-Famer Shawn Schmitt, who coming off a broken forefinger, hadn’t started in nearly a month. Both pitchers held their own for the first four frames as the tally remained scoreless. The Rangers finally broke free in the top of the fifth as Zach’s two-out RBI single plated Lippincott for the first run of the game. Staten followed with a run-scoring triple, and the Rangers took a 2-0 lead. PJ Dobbins reached on an error and would later score on a throwing error to cut the lead to 2-1. Jim Brown started off the sixth with a single and Marshall followed suit. After a lineout by Lippincott, Jelani would reach on a costly fielding miscue to load the bases. Riley then delivered the knockout blow with a bases-clearing triple to right-center. Zach added an RBI groundout to give the Rangers a 6-1 advantage. The Rangers added two more runs in the seventh on an RBI single from Marshall and an RBI double from Jelani. The final run came in the 8th as Staten scampered around from second base on a wild pitch to make it 9-1. The only other threat from the Mariners came in the seventh as they loaded the bases with one out, but Schmitt induced an inning-ending double play to thwart any more scoring opportunities for the Mariners. Schmitt tossed a complete game victory, striking out 5 batters, and scattering 6 hits en route to his 7th win of the season.
VS.
#2 - 2015 CHAMPIONSHIP
The Rangers defeated the Fairborn Post 526 Athletics 9-8 and 13-5 to win their 3rd MVABL Championship on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Action Sports Center. In a rematch of the 2014 championship series in which the Rangers were swept by the A’s, this year’s outcome was ended on a more positive note.
With a 7-6 lead in game one, the Rangers turned the ball over to Brennen Glass to hold the lead in the 8th. A walk from Voris and a single from Matt Addis put the tying run on third with one out. Kyle Combs then smacked a ground ball to shortstop, but Voris beat the throw home to tie the game. Glass struck out the side to send the game to the ninth all tied up at 8-8. The A’s got a one-out single from Zach Swartz and a walk from OJ McDuffie. After a groundout put the Rangers within one out of sending it to the bottom of the ninth still tied, Addis worked a walk and Haffner did the same to plate the go-ahead run. Glass K’d Combs for his fifth punchout to send it to the ninth, needing a miracle to happen.
And that miracle came in the form of Steve Marshall who showed up to the game just in time for the coach to utilize his legs in the ninth inning. Glass and Ben Schubert started the inning with singles, and Marshall came in to pinch run for Schubert. Robert Riley drilled a deep flyball to center to score Glass easily with the tying run. Meanwhile, Marshall advanced to second on a wild pitch, putting himself in scoring position to win the game. Two pitches later, another wild pitch barely got away from the catcher, but Marshall took off for third. The throw down to third skipped past the third baseman, allowing Marshall to scamper home with the game-winning run.
Just as was done in game two of the semifinals, coach Lippincott put the series-clincher in the hands of Todd Peck. And Peck didn’t disappoint, allowing two earned runs over five innings of work. Schubert and Brandon Riley both homered. Thankfully Tennessee football was losing during the game, as that gave Schubert the mental edge to strike out the final batter of the game to preserve the championship win.
VS.
#3 - 2013 PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS
The Rangers needed 3 games to defeat the Redlegs and advance to a second straight championship series.
Shawn Schmitt induced 4 double plays and blanked the Redlegs 4-0 in game one. Joe Staten belted a 2-run home run.
The Rangers broke a tie in the top of the 7th to go up 5-4 in game 2. However, the Redlegs took advantage of their final at-bat, and it came with two-outs. Brandon Howard, whom the Rangers already walked 5 out of his 6 plate appearances, would rope a double down the left-field line to score Jack Millard with the tying run, and put Jacob Robinson at third with the go-ahead run. Josh Emmel, who had flirted with disaster with 7 walks in relief of Robert Riley, would have liked to had one pitch back, and that was the wild pitch that would allow Robinson to score the game-winner for the Redlegs, forcing a game 3 on Sunday.
A decisive game 3 would certainly become an instant classic between two teams that were not ready to have their season come to an end. The Redlegs would jump out early on an RBI single from James Robinson. But the Rangers answered against former Rangers pitcher Brad Clark in the bottom of the first. Joe Staten led off with a single and came around on Robert Riley’s first HR of the postseason. Brandon Howard doubled in Jacob Robinson in the third to tie the game at 2-2. But the tie was short-lived as Lippincott’s hit-and-run single would score Riley all the way from first base. The Redlegs tied the game yet again in the top of the sixth on a passed ball. The Rangers broke out with a 6-spot in the bottom of the sixth to take a commanding 9-3 lead. Jim Brown and Schmitt would each have two-run singles with the bases loaded. And Lippincott added an RBI single, and Staten had a bases-loaded walk. Unfazed by the 6-run deficit, the Redlegs countered with 6 runs of their own, after 6 straight hits, in the top of the 7th to tie the game again. Coach Lippincott handed the ball over to Schmitt in the 8th to see if there was any magic left in his arm for the weekend. The first two batters reached in the top of the 8th, but Schmitt would get a doubleplay to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th, Riley doubled with one out and Lippincott followed with an RBI single, as the Rangers took a 10-9 lead into the bottom of the ninth. The Redlegs would get the first two runners on base to start the inning. But Schmitt would induce the 7th double play of the weekend to put the tying run at second with two outs. After a walk and an infield single loaded the bases, Schmitt got Kyle Arend to popup to first to end the game and send the Rangers to the championship series for the second straight season.
VS.
#4 - 2019 PLAYOFF 1st ROUND
Rangers Need 27 Innings to Advance to Semis
Rangers starter Ben Schooler and Aaron Carmack of the Redlegs were nearly lights-out through regulation in game one. Matt Morrison singled and scored the first run for the Redlegs in the bottom of the first. The Rangers had to wait until the fifth to strike. With two outs, Brandon Saylor doubled and scored on a triple from Nick Gilmore. The score stayed 1-1 after 7 complete. In the top of the 8th, Kyle Moyer's triple plated Brandon Marshall with the go-ahead run. However, the Redlegs got a triple from Brad Malott and a sac fly from Matt Mattice to keep the game going in extras. The 2-2 game carried into the 11th inning as Michael Cookson worked on his second inning of relief behind Carmack. In the top of the 11th, Eric Becker was hit by a pitch. After a wild pitch and passed ball moved Becker to third, Saylor came through with a run-scoring single to give the Rangers a 3-2 advantage. Meanwhile, Schooler would set down the final 10 Redlegs batters to give the Rangers an important game one victory. Schooler pitched all 11 innings, scattering 10 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 2 punchouts.
Game 2 looked like it would be headed to extra innings as well. The game stood tied at 6-6 heading into the 7th. However, the Redlegs piled on a walk and 3 straight hits to score 3 more times to ultimately win game two 9-6, and force a deciding game 3 the next day.
The winner-take-all game three took place at Madison high school where Brandon Saylor would toe the rubber for the Rangers in his first playoff mound appearance, and he would not disappoint, striking out 10 batters. The Rangers scored in every inning except the 5th. Markus Neff and Jonmarc Lippincott homered and Rob Pederson had 5 hits.
VS.
#5 - 2014 PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS
The Rangers swept the Ohio Mariners 8-7 in extra innings and 9-5 to advance to their 6th championship series. In the first game, the Rangers blew a 3-run lead in the 7th inning as a throwing error allowed the tying run to score with two outs to force extra innings. The Rangers bottom-half of the 8th inning came up, and with one out, Brandon Riley doubled for the second time in the game, and Phil Dickerson singled him over to third. Robert Riley then stepped up a drilled a deep sac fly to center to plate his brother with the winning run. Joe Becker went the distance, striking out 6 in earning his 9th win of the season. In a definition of a team win, 8 different batters scored the 8 runs for the Rangers.
The Mariners got to Rangers' starter Ben Schubert for 5 runs in the first inning of game two. The Rangers completed the comeback in the sixth inning on Todd Peck's 2-run single. Three of Todd’s hits on the day either tied the game or gave the Rangers a lead. Schubert earned his first career win.
VS.
#6 - 2012 PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS
The Rangers overcame a game one loss to the Slammers to win the final two games of the series to advance to their second MVABL Championship series.
The Rangers faced 2010 Cy Young winner Sean Casey in game one and had their opportunities to score, but the Slammers ace was able to strand 12 Rangers over the course of the game to come away with a 9-5 Slammers victory.
In game two, Joe Staten blasted a 3-run HR and Ben Schooler went the distance for his third straight CG victory as the Rangers evened the series with a 12-3 win.
With the help of some smooth persuasion from Shawn Schmitt, he was able to coax Joe Becker to drive down from Michigan Sunday morning to help out the pitching staff for game 3. And Becker provided a big boost on the mound, allowing 1 earned run over 9 innings, striking out 8 batters for his second complete game of the season. Jelani Arnold had a 3-run home run as the Rangers took the series 11-4.
VS.
#7 - 2016 Playoff 1st Round
Rangers lose 31-run, 12-inning marathon at Wright State to the Mad River Machine
Game 1 took place at Action Sports Center and the game was tied at 2-2 heading into the final inning. Eric Becker started the seventh inning with a base hit. After stealing second and moving to third on a fielder's choice, Brandon Riley singled home Becker for the 3-2 lead. Schmitt worked out of a two-out, second and third, jam by getting Matt Sullivan to line out to first to end the game.
​
Playing with only 8 guys in game 2 proved to be not so much of a burden, but the lack of offense was. Rangers fell 6-4 to force a decisive game three.
​
In one of the more exciting playoff games in MVABL history, the Machine ousted the Rangers 16-15 in 12 innings at Wright State's Nischwitz stadium. It was a see-saw battle for the latter half of the marathon, as the Rangers blew a 3-run lead in the bottom of the ninth, only to rally to take the lead in both the 10th and 12th innings before the Machine pulled away with the walk-off winner.
In the 10th, Gilmore drove home Joe Becker to give the Rangers a one-run cushion. But the Machine wouldn't go away quietly as Nick Montoya smacked an RBI single with two outs, plating Sullivan with the tying run. The Rangers had the bases loaded with one out in the 11th, but Clark got a popup and a strikeout to thwart any rally. The Machine went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 11th. In the top of the 12th, Brandon Riley was hit by a pitch and Gilmore followed with a single. Robert Riley then produced his 5th RBI since the 7th inning to give the Rangers back the lead. Clark then got a popup and a double-play to end any more scoring chances. Pat Beyerle smoked a double to get the Machine operating in their half of the inning. After an out put Beyerle at third, Sullivan delivered with a deep sac fly to center to tie the game at 15-15. With two outs and nobody on, Sokowoski laced a single to left sending up the 10th inning hero Nick Montoya. Montoya pounded a deep fly ball down the left field line where the Rangers' left fielder Eric Becker raced over to make a sliding catch, but the ball glanced enough off the end of the glove, causing the ball to ricochet into the corner, allowing Sokowoski to soar home with the game-winning run.
VS.
#8 - 2012 Playoff 2nd Round
The Rangers reached the 20-win mark with a doubleheader sweep of the Miami Valley Bats in the second round of the playoffs on Sunday, September 9 at Bellbrook HS.
With the game knotted at 5-5 in game one, pitcher Ben Schooler helped his cause with a pinch-hit home run to center to give the Rangers the lead again. After a two-out double by Joe Becker, Jonmarc Lippincott connected for a 2-run home run to increase the lead to 8-5. The game was tied at 8-8 heading in to the bottom of the 7th. Robert Riley walked to start off things and Zach Carroll bunted him into scoring position, before Joe Staten belted a walk-off two-run home run to left field for a 10-8 Rangers win. Robert Riley belted his 3rd HR on the day and rookie Jordan Scott also hit his first career homer as the Rangers won game two 14-9.
VS.
#9 - 2011 Playoff 2nd Round
The Dayton Rangers knocked off the Kettering Royals in a pair of second round playoff victories on Sunday, September 11 at Kettering Fields.
In game one, Royals’ center fielder Chris Jergens interrupted a flag football game by greeting Rangers pitcher Shawn Schmitt with a three-run home run to right field for a quick 3-0 Royals lead. But despite allowing the first three batters to reach base and score, Schmitt settled down and only allowed 6 more baserunners throughout the remainder of the contest. Josh Cawein homered in leading the Rangers to an 8-3 first-game victory.
Looking at a 6-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh of game two, the Rangers looked to the bottom of the order to get something started. Zach Carroll roped a clean single to left, followed by singles by James Robinson and Aaron Armstrong. Joe Becker reached on an infield error to score Carroll. Joe Staten then hit an opposite field single to score the tying run. And then Lippincott laced a single to left for the game-winning walk-off hit.
VS.
#10 - 2015 Playoff Semifinals
The Rangers head to the championship series for the fourth straight season after knocking off the Mad River Machine 18-10 and 13-3 on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Action Sports Center.
The Rangers found themselves in an 8-2 hole in game one before the offense kicked it into high gear. A big 12-run fifth inning boosted the Rangers into the lead for good.
Todd Peck was handed the ball for game two and he didn’t disappoint in his second career start. He handcuffed the Machine into just 6 hits, allowing 2 earned runs, striking out 5. The Rangers piled up 29 hits, 15 walks, and 9 HBPs on the afternoon. Kody Barth set a franchise record reaching base in 18 straight plate appearances (5 singles, 1 double, 1 HR, 5 BB, 6 HBPs).
VS.