Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowboys used seven pitchers and senior
Ben Ruff recorded his third save of the weekend as New Mexico Highlands baseball (18-15, 15-8 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) completed the four-game sweep of visiting Regis (12-17, 9-13 RMAC) 10-7 on Sunday afternoon (April 6) in Las Vegas, N.M.
With Highlands leading 10-7 coming into the ninth, Ruff picked up his fourth save of the season by retiring the side in order on only eight pitches. In three innings of work this weekend, Ruff had a trio of saves in three innings of work while only surrendering two unearned runs on one hit and one walk.
The Cowboys trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the fourth when they scored nine runs over the next two innings to build a 10-4 lead. Juniors
Morgan McCasland and
Colby Wilmer singled and both scored to tie the game on senior
Justin Rodriguez's double. Senior
Javier Ledford followed with an RBI single and advanced to second on senior
Tyler Hayes' bunt single. Two fielder's choices later put men on the corners. Junior
Andrew Ratterman then stole second, but the catcher threw wildly to allow Hayes to score from third to put the home team up a pair after four.
Regis cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth before the Cowboys put up a five-spot in the bottom of the fifth, their second five-run inning of the series. Redshirt junior
Matthew Chavez and McCasland both singled and Wilmer walked to load the bases. Rodriguez and Ledford both tallied sacrifice flies. Hayes added his second infield single in as many innings before junior
EJ Stanton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ratterman (two RBI's) and junior
Nick Gonzales (RBI) both singled to push the Cowboys lead to 10-4.
Throwing a scoreless third and fourth inning, senior
Daniel Clark (2-1) got the win, allowing just a hit and walk with a strikeout. Offensively, every Highlands player in the starting lineup recorded a hit. Rodriguez finished 1-2 with four RBI's, two sacrifice flies and a run scored. McCasland and Wilmer both had a pair of hits, including Wilmer hitting his seventh triple of the season and his third three bagger of the series.
Wilmer scored three times while McCasland crossed the plate twice.
Regis scored the games' first three runs in the top of the second. With one out, Tony Schicktanz doubled and advanced to third on Ty Overboe's infield single. Jon Shoutta hit an RBI single before Mike Potter scored a second run on a double, but Shoutta was gunned down at the plate. Dylan Navarro, who finished the game with three hits and three RBI's and a home run – finished the scoring for the Rangers in the second with an RBI single.
The Cowboys cut the deficit to two in the bottom of the frame when Rodriguez tallied his first sacrifice fly of the game after Wilmer belted a triple.
Besides Navarro, Schicktanz and Overboe both led the Rangers with three hits in five at-bats with a run scored and an RBI. Throwing the first four innings, Brad Thoutt fell to 3-2 by allowing eight hits and seven runs (six earned) and three strikeouts.
Schicktanz added an RBI double down the right field line in the seventh for Regis.
The New Mexico Highlands baseball team returns to action Friday (April 11) with a double header against Colorado Christian, beginning at noon.
