HRs help RC split twinbill with McLennan

Luis Vargas and Tucker Burton blasted home runs on Wednesday afternoon and helped the Ranger College Rangers earn a split of their doubleheader with conference-leading McLennan at Ellis Burks Field.

Ranger took Game 1 of the twinbill by a 6-3 margin. They dropped the nightcap, 9-0.

With the split, Ranger College kept its postseason hopes alive. Now 23-17 for the season, the Rangers moved to 9-13 in Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play. RC trails North Central Texas College by three games heading into this weekend's action. Only the top four teams in the NTJCAC standings will advance to the Region V Baseball Championships in San Angelo in May.

In Game 1, McLennan took a 3-2 lead into the home half of the sixth inning.

Ranger hit stride from there. Vargas ignited a four-run outburst by leading off the inning with a long home run to left. Vargas' eighth homer of the season tied the game at 3-3.

The Rangers were far from through. RC put two more runners on base before RC head coach Scott Norwood elected to go with pinch-hitter Tucker Burton. Burton promptly delivered a three-run homer that put the Rangers on top for good.

Austin Smith worked six strong innings on the mound for RC. The Abilene native struck out six while scattering 10 hits. Dillon Morris pitched a scoreless seventh to close out the win.

Vargas, Angel Velez and Kaleb Thompson all collected a pair of hits in Game 1.

McLennan, 37-10 overall and ranked No. 6 in the latest NJCAA Division I rankings, salvaged a split of the series by winning the finale. The Highlanders broke open a tight game in the sixth by scoring five runs. They took an 8-0 lead into the seventh and never looked back.

McLennan shortstop Jalen Battles hit two homers in the contest.

Thompson registered Rangers' lone hit in the second game.

Ranger College and McLennan are scheduled to face off again on Friday (April 19) with a doubleheader at Bosque River Ballpark. Games will begin at 1 p.m