Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Bordering on the edge of elimination from the Rocky Mountain Conference Tournament and possibly not making the NCAA Tournament, three wild throws by the Orediggers allowed the Cowboys to score what proved to be the winning run as New Mexico Highlands baseball (32-19) ended Colorado School of Mines (24-23) season with a 2-1 win Friday afternoon (May 9) in Grand Junction, Colo.
With no one on and no outs in the fifth, senior
Tyler Hayes grounded to third. However, the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag and bounced just far enough away to allow Hayes to advance to second on the miscue. A pickoff attempt was then throw in to center field to allow Hayes to advance to third. A wild pitch allowed Hayes to hustle home and gave Highlands an unearned run, erasing the run it gave up in the bottom of the first thanks to a miscue.
Looking to keep the Cowboys season alive, junior
Blake Harrison took to the mound and only gave up one unearned on nine hits with two strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched to improve to 7-2 on the year. Senior
Ben Ruff recorded his ninth save of the season in 1.1 innings of work, retiring all four batters faced with two flyouts, a groundout and a punchout.
Tommy Rodgers (4-3) was the hard-luck losing pitcher for Colorado School of Mines, surrendering two runs (one earned) on 131 pitches in 7.1 innings of work, allowing four hits, four walks and recording four strikeouts.
After an unearned run in the bottom of the first, it took only two pitches in the top of the second to tie the game. Junior
Morgan McCasland belted the second pitch he saw just over the wall in left center to tie the game at one. McCasland led Highlands offensively with a 2-for-4 day with one run scored and an RBI.
Colorado Mines began the bottom of the first with the first two men recording outs, but Nate Olinger reached on an error. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Cody Marvel's RBI hit. A.J. Schllinger followed with a single to put men on the corners, but Charlie Basil grounded out on the first pitch to end the threat.
No one advanced past second and never reached scoring position until there were two outs for the rest of the game for the Orediggers. Colorado Mines had the tying run at second with two down in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth but failed to push across the man across the plate.
The Cowboys look to stay alive in the RMAC tournament when they return to action tonight at 7 p.m., against the loser of Colorado Mesa and CSU-Pueblo. The ThunderWolves currently trail the Mavericks 9-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
