The comeback kids clinched the RMAC Plains Division today with two wins over University of Nebraska – Kearney. Highlands (32-12,25-10 RMAC) Defeated UNK (17-27,16-19 RMAC) in dramatic fashion, 18-12 and 5-3. NMHU has won the series with their third win of the weekend, and look to improve to 4-0 on Sunday 4/29 (Senior Day). Southwest Capital Bank who provided hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas and souvenir baseballs sponsored the Fan Appreciation day. Today's game was the highest attended game this season with 600+ people.
Kyle Davis hit 5-for-8 on the day including six RBIs and scoring five for the Cowboys. Davis improved to a .364 average with 30 RBIs.
Oscar Almeida picked up his fourth win of the season in the second game with five innings pitched and four strikeouts.
Matt Gualco started on the bump for the day but after 3.1 innings pitched and four fanned batters, was relieved by
Cachot Duncan. Duncan threw for 2.1 and gave up two earned runs. Nicasio Gonzales (2-0) earned the win in the first game facing one batter.
Kearney struck first in game one but by the third inning, the Cowboys had brought the game to even at six apiece. The Lopers did not respond well to the fight and tacked on five runs on three hits in their fourth inning.
Heading into the sixth inning, Highlands trailed 12-8 and faced with a task they are accustomed to – working hard in the late innings to secure their win.
Thanks to a sixth inning, 10 run surge, Highlands took the lead for good.
Jarod Jamerson started off the rally with a double in the left side gap. The Lopers switched pitchers, which proved to be more helpful to the Cowboys than UNK.
Jordan Falcon grounded out to the three spot, which advanced Jamerson to third. Jamerson then crossed the plate on a passed ball in
Erik Scott's at bat.
Facing two outs due to Scott's 5-3, Highlands proved to the world why they clenched their RMAC Plains Division title.
AJ Alexander walked and was then waved to third on a single my
Josh McMahon. The bats did not stop there –
Kyle Davis put a ball in shallow right, which scored McMahon and put runners in scoring position. Runs kept pouring in on both strong offense and weak pitching. Alexander's next at bat of the inning was the driving force in the home team completing the win. Alexander walked to the box with bases loaded and carrying his team's momentum. AJ, who is third in the RMAC in batting average (.414), saw his pitch and bounced one off the left field fence for a three RBI triple.
Highlands scored 18 on 15 hits and committed six errors.
Game two was secured in the third inning for Highlands with four runs on four hits and one Loper error. Highlands took the early 5-1 lead but Kearney's offense scored the following two innings. The home team's middle relief took over for Almeida and breezed through the last two innings.
Richard Sandoval earned his second save and
Chris Pile hit 2-for-3 with two RBI's and a double.
Join the Cowboys for the series finale on 4/29 at noon at Brandt Field. Come cheer on the seniors in their final home game.
View game one stats
HERE.
View game two stats
HERE.
GO COWBOYS!!!
