Ranger Baseball Season Opener Ends in a Walk-Off Win

RANGER, Texas — The Ranger College Rangers opened their baseball season Friday with a dramatic 15-14 home victory over the Dallas College Brookhaven Bears at Ellis Burks Field.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Brookhaven scoring four runs in the second inning and Ranger answering with three. The Bears added five more runs from the third through fifth innings, while Ranger scored six in the fourth and three in the fifth, making it 12-9 heading into the ninth.

Brookhaven scored five runs in the top of the ninth to take a 14-12 lead, but Ranger rallied in the bottom of the inning. Larry Drake scored on a Brookhaven error, and Michael Lozano's double drove in two runs for the walk-off win.

The Rangers collected 13 hits to Bears' 10.

Eli Heyen started on the mound for the Rangers, with Landon Gutierrez, Jaykub Reyes, and Abel Anzaldua pitching in relief. Gutierrez, Reyes, and Anzaldua each threw shutout innings, and Blayne Polen pitched in the ninth.

Lozano led the Rangers at the plate, going 3-for-5. Joey Rodriguez, Iann Cobos, Drake, and Lozano each drove in three runs. Sean Gardiner had two hits, and Tui Amosa drew three walks.

This win is also the first for Head Coach Dalton Rodriguez, who was previously the assistant coach for the Rangers for several years. 

Ranger hosts a doubleheader against Brookhaven on Saturday January 25, 2025, beginning at noon.