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Pederson Blasts 4 HRs in Sweep of Slammers

By Jonmarc Lippincott, 06/14/21, 11:45AM EDT

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Kujo adds grand slam, and Moyer homers

The Rangers had a mighty big task ahead of them on Sunday as they faced off against the defending champion Slammers in a DH at Bellbrook high school. Needing to play a near-flawless game to compete against the Slammers' daunted pitching staff and offense, the team put together one of its best performances on both sides of the plate in a very long time. The Rangers swept the Slammers 4-0 and 20-5 (6 inn).​

Despite the Slammers starting off game one by reaching on a fielding error, the Rangers defense was air-tight the rest of the day. Rookie Noah Schleinitz got the start in his second outing with the Rangers. Schleinitz was on fire for four innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 7 without allowing a run to pick up his first career win. Meanwhile the Rangers had its work cut out going up against Jeff Beall. The Rangers tallied the first run of the game in the bottom of the 3rd on a solo home run by Rob Pederson. The Rangers added some insurance in the top of the 5th. With one out, Joe Becker doubled down the left field line. Nick Gilmore followed with a run-scoring single to right field to make it 2-0.  Pederson then stepped up again and smacked another home run, a 2-run shot to give the Rangers a 4-0 advantage.​

The Rangers turned the ball over to Brandon Saylor in the fifth and put up zeroes over the final 3 frames, allowing a hit and striking out 2 for his second save of the season.

​The Rangers did something in game two that hadn't been done before, and that is score 20 runs against the Slammers. And it's just the second time they've run-ruled the Slammers -- the last time coming in the decisive game of the 2009 MVABL Championship.

But the outlook started off shaky as the Rangers went out in order in the top of the first and the Slammers scored 2 runs off starter Joe Becker. However, Becker settled down and blanked the Slammers over the next four innings. The offense got started in the top of the 2nd as Kyle Moyer led off with a single to center, accounting for the team's 8000th franchise base hit.  Moyer would be plated on an RBI double from Dominic Kuzujanakis. Kujo scored on a run-scoring single from Chris Ridl, and the game was knotted at 2-2 after 2 innings. 

​In the third, Nick Gilmore worked a one-out walk before Pederson deposited his 3rd HR of the day to give the Rangers a 4-2 lead. Kyle Moyer made it back-to-back jacks with a HR to deep left-center field, his first career longball. The big inning came in the fifth when the Rangers scored 10 times to take a 15-2 lead. Jonmarc Lippincott and Gilmore started things off with walks. Pederson singled to load the bases. Moyer was then hit by a pitch to force in a run. Kujo then smacked a grand slam to centerfield, his first of the season. The hits continued as Nolte doubled and Eric Becker got an HBP with one out. Nolte would score on a wild pitch, and one out later, Lippincott singled home Becker. After Gilmore singled, Pederson deposited his 4th HR of the day over the left field fence to round out the scoring in the inning. 

​In the top of the 6th, Nolte singled and scored with two outs on an RBI double from Brandon Saylor. Two more runs scored on a fielding error, and Moyer and Kujo added RBI singles for the 5-run frame. 

​Joe Becker wrapped up the complete game victory, but without a little damage to the ERA as Dan Barhorst, Tanner Lilly and Todd Barhorst hit solo HRs in the bottom of the 6th.  But Joe was able to get a couple fly outs to end the game and keep the run-rule intact.

Offensive highlights: Nick Gilmore 3-for-5, 5 runs, RBI, 2 SB; Rob Pederson 5-for-8, 6 runs, 8 RBI, 4 HR; Kyle Moyer 6-for-7, 3 runs, 3 RBI, HR; Kujo 3-for-8, 2 runs, 6 RBI, double, grand slam; Cooper Nolte 2-for-8, 2 runs, double; Brandon Saylor 1-for-4, double, 3 runs, RBI.

Historical Notes: Kyle Moyer singled in game two to record the 8000th franchise hit. Moyer had his first career HR and first 4-hit game. Nick Gilmore reached 100 career SB as a Ranger and scored his 200th run as a Ranger. Dominic Kuzujanakis had a career-high 6 RBIs in game two. Rob Pederson had a career-high 5 RBI game in game two. Pederson also became the 8th player in team history to have multiple multi-HR games.