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Box Score 2 LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Cowboys kept two important streaks alive and became the second team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to win at least 20 games on the season as New Mexico Highlands baseball (20-15, 17-8 RMAC) took a pair from Colorado Christian (7-27, 6-18 RMAC) by a final of 11-3 in game one and 9-2 in game two.
Highlands – who was under .500 just a week ago – won its sixth straight. Junior
Andrew Ratterman ran his hit streak to 22 games.
The Cowboys trailed 3-2 entering the top of the fourth in game one, but scored 15 unanswered runs spanning both games of the double header to take away all doubt. Trailing by one in the first game, senior
Javier Ledford – who finished the day just a triple short of the cycle in four at-bats – led off the fourth inning with a home run to tie the game at three. After a walk and hit batter in the fifth, junior
Nick Gonzales hit a home run down the left field line – his first of the season – to put Highlands up 6-3 after five.
Junior
Morgan McCasland reached on an error to begin the seventh, and the flood gates opened. After a strikeout, McCasland advanced all the way to third on an errant pickoff throw. Gonzales hugged the left field line again, this time for a single, to score McCasland. Ledford walked. Senior
Tyler Hayes reached on an error to drive in Gonzales before classmate
Jordan Goliat added an infield single to load the bases. Ratterman doubled down the left field nine for a pair of RBI's to bring the Cowboys to double-digit runs.
Senior
Justin Rodriguez added the sacrifice fly for the 11th run for the Cowboys. Junior
Erick McRae retired the side in order in the eighth and ninth on only 12 pitches to close out the win.
Ratterman went 2-for-6 on the day with two RBI's and a run scored to keep his hit streak alive. He left nothing to chance, leading off the game with his first triple of the season and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez. Ledford added a single, double and home run in four at-bats with two runs scored and an RBI.
Junior
Blake Harrison (4-2) recorded the win in game one, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) with five strikeouts over seven innings of work.
In game two, both teams failed to score in the first before the Cowboys put up six runs in the second to take control of the game. Another Cougars miscue was the catalyst as Senior
Jarred Middleton reached in the second on an error, advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt and advanced to third on another Colorado Christian error. Gonzales followed with an RBI single to plate the first run of the game.
A single and a hit batter loaded the bases, still with no one out, before Goliat made it 2-0 with a single. Ratterman followed with his second, two-RBI double of the day to put the visitors up 4-0. Junior
Joe Cervantes and McCasland added sacrifice flies for the final runs of the inning.
Junior
Mike Sordia added a two-run shot – his first of the season – as the Cowboys took a 9-0 lead after five innings. Colorado Christian added an unearned run in the sixth while Austin Atkerson added a solo home run in the seventh for the final 9-2 margin.
Despite all the runs, Highlands managed nine hits and only Gonzales had multiple base knocks. Ratterman had a pair of runs and RBI's while Hayes scored a pair of runs. Junior
Greg Hansen (5-3) got the complete game win, allowing only five hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out six.
Colorado Christian managed a run in the first and two in the second in game one, but that is all until the sixth inning of game two. Tyler Landrith led the Cougars in game one from the plate with two hits and the loan Cougars' RBI. Mark McMahon threw the game's first five innings, allowing seven hits and six runs to fall to 0-5 on the year.
Chisolm Witt took the loss in game two for the Cougars, not even recording an out in the second as he allowed three hits and four runs (three earned).
The Cowboys return to action Saturday (April 12) for the final two games of the series against Colorado Christian. First pitch in Pueblo, Colo., is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
