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Box Score 2 LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The visitors made things interesting with attempted rallies in the top of the seventh in both games, but the Cowboys held on thanks to a pair of saves from junior
Ben Ruff as the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (17-15, 14-8 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) swept a twinbill from Regis (12-16, 9-12 RMAC), winning 6-4 in game one and 7-6 in game two.
In the second game, the Cowboys rallied from a 4-3 deficit and held on for the one-run win. Trailing entering the bottom of the fifth, redshirt junior
Matthew Chavez led off the inning with a single. After two flyouts, Chavez swiped second and knotted the game at four when he scored on a single by senior
Cole Davis. In the bottom of the sixth, junior
Andrew Ratterman singled and advanced to third on a single by senior
Justin Rodriguez. With the Rangers trying to throw out Ratterman, Rodriguez advanced to second. Chavez drove in the go-ahead runs on a single, advanced to second when junior
Morgan McCasland – who caught and threw out a pair of runners in game one – was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error.
The Cowboys surrendered a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, but Ruff slammed the door on the Rangers to preserve the Cowboys one-run win to complete the sweep of the day.
Rodriguez, Chavez and David led the Cowboys with a pair of hits on the day while Rodriguez and Chavez both scored a pair of runs. Chavez added three RBI's. Junior
Cody Brown picked up the win to improve to 4-1 on the year, giving up six hits and four runs (three earned) while striking out six.
Also in the game, the Cowboys scored single tallies in the second, third and fourth innings. Senior
Jordan Goliat had a two-out, RBI single in the second while Chavez hit a sacrifice fly in the third after a leadoff double by Rodriguez.
Ratterman added his own sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Highlands never trailed in game one and held on for the 6-4 victory. The Cowboys started off the game fast when Ratterman drew a nine-pitch walk and scored on a three-base error when the Rangers pitcher tried to pick off Ratterman. McCasland added a solo shot later in the inning, his ninth home run of the season.
In the second inning, junior
Jonathan Stavinoha reached on a two-out single and scored when Ratterman doubled down the left field line. Junior
EJ Stanton added a solo home run in the fourth while junior
Joe Cervantes hit his first home run of the year with a man on in the fifth.
Regis' Ty Overboe added a three-run shot in the top of the seventh off of senior
Jordan Goliat, but Ruff came in for the final three outs as he became the first Cowboy with multiple saves on the season.
Ratterman and Stanton led Highlands from the plate with a pair of hits, one run scored an RBI in game one. Senior
Greg Hansen toed the rubber for Highlands, surrendering six hits and two runs with four punch-outs in six innings.
Game two saw Regis score a trio of runs in the top of the fifth to take a slim 4-3 lead. Mike Potter led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a two-out single by Dylan Navarro. Jesse Porras and Tony Piazza added RBI singles before Logan Knox hit an RBI double. Brown got the final fly out to slam the door shut on Regis as the Cowboys rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.
Piazza and Knox led the Regis' offense in game two with two hits in four at-bats and an RBI. Knox also scored a run while Porras crossed the plate twice. Russell Picconi lost his first decision of the season in game two for Regis, giving up three runs on three hits in a third of an inning.
Austin Deal (2-3) lost game one for the Rangers, giving up four runs and five hits and four walks in three innings of work.
The Cowboys look for their second RMAC series sweep of the season Sunday (April 6) when they take on Regis in a nine-inning contest at noon.
