Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAS VEGAS, N.M. – After scoring only five runs in the first 18 innings of the weekend series with the ThunderWolves, the Cowboys exploded for five unanswered runs as the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (6-10, 3-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) upended CSU-Pueblo (7-8, 3-2 RMAC) 11-1 in game two on Saturday afternoon (March 8), 11-1.
The Cowboys fell behind 7-1 in game one on the day before falling 7-4.
With the Cowboys trailing 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth of game one, senior
Jarred Middleton came to the plate with two men aboard. On the first pitch of the at-bat, he blasted his second home run of the season to left center to cut the Cowboys deficit in half. However, the next nine Highlands' batters were retired as CSU-Pueblo took game one.
However, Middleton provided the offensive spark that the Cowboys needed as Highlands won the second game 11-1. With the Cowboys trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, the first two men reached on a walk and single. After a fielder's choice bunt, junior
Andrew Ratterman singled down the left field line to tie the game.
Highlands tacked on a trio of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for the first time on the weekend. Junior
Colby Wilmer led off the inning with a single and head's up base running got him to third on redshirt junior
Matthew Chavez's infield single. With senior
Javier Ledford in an 0-2 hole, he pulled a ball to the right side that allowed Wilmer to score the go-ahead run. After a foul out, the ThunderWolves created their own problems when they issued a pair of walks and a pair of hits batsmen to put the Cowboys up 4-1 through four innings.
Cowboys junior
Cody Brown, who came into the game with an ERA more than 20, allowed only one run and retired 12-of-13 over the final four innings to capture his first win of the season . He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five in the game.
Highlands put the game out of reach with a six spot in the fifth. Wilmer again led off the inning with a single and then swiped second. Chavez walked and both runners were sacrificed into scoring position. Junior
Joe Cervantes drove both runs in with a single.
After a walk, both runners moved into scoring position. With two down, Ratterman hit an infield single. Both runners hustled from the second the ball left the bat and reached home safely on an infield single to put the Cowboys up 8-1. A hit by pitch was preceded by a bases-clearing double by senior
Cole Davis.
The Cowboys tacked another run in the bottom of the sixth for the double-digit win.
Ratterman paced the Cowboys offense with two hits in three at-bats with four RBI's and a run scored. Chavez also had two hits in three at-bats and scored a pair of runs. Highlands scored more runs (11) than it had hits (10).
Victor Soto (1-2) took the loss for CSU-Pueblo in game two, allowing four runs and four hits with a trio of walks in 3.2 innings pitched.
In game one, the ThunderWolves went up 7-1 before holding on for the 7-4 win. After a scoreless first, the first two batters reached for CSU-Pueblo in the second before being sacrificed into scoring position. Mike Wagner followed with a two-RBI single.
The Cowboys scored on a run in the bottom of the third with singles by juniors
Nick Gonzales, Morgan McCasland and
Mike Sordia, but the Cowboys could not climb any closer. CSU-Pueblo broke the game open with a pair in the top of the fourth when they put two men on, both runners advanced on a passed ball and
Dominick Bregar cleared the bases with a two-out single.
The ThunderWolves pushed the lead to six on two-out, RBI singles in the top of the fifth with two-out, RBI singles by Mike Wagner, Cameron Buckles and Austin Mascorro. Middleton cut the deficit in half with a home run in the bottom of the fifth with a three-run shot, but the Cowboys climbed no closer.
For the game, Highlands actually outhit the visitors 10 to nine. From the plate, Wagner led CSU-Pueblo with two hits in both at-bats with two runs scored and two RBI's.
Jesse Bristow improved to 2-1 on the mound for CSU-Pueblo, allowing 10 hits and four runs while striking out four in five innings of work. Thomas Bevington pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh for his first save of the year.
Ben Ruff fell to 0-3 for the Cowboys, allowing seven hits and seven runs (six earned) while striking out three in 4.2 innings of work.
The Cowboys look to split the series tomorrow (March 9) when it plays the ThunderWolves at noon.
