SW Collegiate holds off JV’s rally

SW Collegiate holds off JV’s rally

Southwest Collegiate Prep Academy built a 10-3 lead in the first six innings on Saturday and then held off a furious rally by Ranger College to sneak out a 10-9 victory in a junior varsity showdown at The Corral. Ranger scored six runs in the final two innings and brought the go-ahead run to the plate before SW Collegiate managed to seal the win.

Ranger third baseman Wade Davis gave the Rangers the early lead. After Derek Renteria had retired the first three batters he faced in the top of the frame, Jayce Green legged out an infield hit. Two batters later, Davis hammered a single to left that plated Green with the game's first run.

SW Collegiate used the long ball to take the lead from there. Will Spencer hit a three-run homer in the top half of the second to put his team on top, 3-1. In the fourth, SW Collegiate third baseman blasted a two-run dinger to left to up give them a 5-1 advantage.

The Rangers got two of the runs back in the home half of the fourth. Davis and Tony Rivera both scored on a two-out double off the bat of RC pinch-hitter Harper Roberts.

SW Collegiate Prep blew the game open over the next two innings. They reeled off five unanswered runs in that span and built a 10-3 cushion heading into the bottom of the eighth.

Jimmy Rodriguez got the RC bats going in the eighth. He hit a one-out double in the inning. Green followed with a double that drove Rodriguez in with the team's fourth run. Green, Jacob Morris and Caleb Hannah scored later in the frame and cut SW Collegiate's lead to 10-7.

Ranger threatened to steal the game in the ninth. After Logan Terrell had reached base via a one-out single, Kyran Fichter lined a hit to left. Both Terrell and Fichter raced home moments later when the SW Collegiate shortstop misplayed a shot off the bat of Rodriguez.

The error put Rodriguez on as the tying run and brought Green to the plate as the winning run.

SW Collegiate reliever Kyle Finster managed to retire the next two batters he faced to end the contest.

Ranger College will return to play on Monday (April 8) when they host Brookhaven College at 1 p.m. at The Corral. The game will be streamed live on the Ranger College Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RangerCollege/