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Box Score 2 DENVER – The Cowboys have won 8-of-11 and have moved above .500 for the first time since the opening weekend of the season with the offense shining through against the Roadrunners as the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (11-10, 8-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) swept a double header from Metro State (3-11, 2-8 RMAC) 10-7 in game one before a dominated 6-2 win in the second game.
Highlands banged out 16 runs on 21 hits for the day.
After the game, head coach
Steve Jones was very succinct on the Cowboys successful weekend.
"It was a very good weekend for Cowboy baseball. We had some good pitching performances and some good timely hitting. Anytime you can sweep on the road, it's nice," Jones said.
In the second game, Metro State struck first thanks to a leadoff double by D. Westerberg, a balk and a passed ball for an unearned run for its first lead of the day. However, the Cowboys quickly responded with a three spot in the top of the second. With one out,
Cole Davis singled and stole second.
Javier Ledford tied the game on an RBI double down the right field line.
After a flyout,
Joe Cervantes singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Jonathan Stavinoha gave Highlands the lead for good on a two-out, two RBI single. The Cowboys had 11 RBI's on the series with two outs.
Highlands added another field goal in the top of third.
Colby Wilmer led off the inning with a single and scored on
Jarred Middleton's third home run of the season. Davis then walked, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an error.
Cody Brown toed the rubber for the Cowboys in game two, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits in seven innings for the complete game win. No one had more than one hit for the Cowboys while Davis scored a pair of runs and Stavinoha had a pair of RBI's.
Tanner Roth fell to 0-2 on the year for the Roadrunners, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits over five innings.
Game one was an offensive explosion as the Cowboys scored eight of the first nine runs, including five in the first inning, and held on for the 10-7 win. It all started with a wild pitch.
Metro State's Derek Stimpson struck out the first two men he faced in the game, but
Andrew Ratterman reached first on a wild pitch.
Nick Gonzales then reached on a defensive miscue before
Morgan McCasland singled to left field to drive in a run. After a pair of walks around a strikeout to score plate another run,
Justin Rodriguez singled in a pair of runs to open up a 4-0 Cowboy lead. Stavinoha put the punctuation mark on the inning with an RBI double.
Stavinoha added an RBI single in the third.
Metro State bounced back with a single, stolen base and an RBI single to open up the bottom of the fourth, but McCasland threw out another runner to prevent any type of Roadrunner rally. The Cowboys responded with small ball to go up 8-1 after the top of the fifth. Rodriguez led off the fifth with a walk and advanced to second on a bunt single by Stavinoha.
EJ Stanton sacrificed the runners into scoring position before Ratterman drove a run in with a suicide squeeze. Gonzales added the RBI single.
A two out rally in the fifth brought the home team within three. Jake Thurston and Westerberg both singled. Gavin Purvis hit an RBI double before Mitch Gibbons singled in two. An error scored the fourth run of the inning as Highlands clung to an 8-5 win. Three walks and a hit by pitch brought Metro State within one in the seventh, but
Erick McRae came in and got a flyout to end the threat.
McRae pitched the final 2.1 innings of the game for his first save of the year, facing the minimum and giving up only a hit. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' offense added a pair of insurance runs to complete the 10-7 win.
Greg Hansen (3-1) claimed the win, allowing seven runs (six earned) and nine hits over 6.2 innings pitched. Stavinoha led the Cowboys from the plate with three hits in five at-bats with two RBI's and a run scored.
Stimpson (1-2) allowed six runs, only two of which were earned, and seven hits in 3.2 innings pitched for the Roadrunners.
New Mexico Highlands returns to action Friday in a key series against RMAC-leading Colorado Mesa.
