LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowboys treated the home crowd to a pair of offensive explosions as the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (3-3) evened its season record with a 12-11 win in the first game of the day before a 17-11 victory against Eastern New Mexico (3-3) in the nightcap.
The Cowboys were 31-for-62 as a teamy on the d. Fifth-year senior
Omar Garcia went 6-for-7 with eight RBI's, six runs scored, two doubles and two home runs for a 2.000 slugging percentage. Classmate
Matthew Chavez went 5-for-8 with four runs scored and a pair of doubles.
Junior
Julian Moroyoqui took the win in game one, allowing three hits and three runs in 1.1 innings pitched. In his first start of the season, senior
Anthony Badalucco took the win in game one by allowing eight runs (seven earned) on only three hits and eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings pitched. Badalucco averages more than a strikeout for every two outs for the season (13 strikeouts in eight innings).
The Cowboys took their first lead of the weekend in the bottom of the second with four runs. Senior
Joe Cervantes led off the inning with a double and scored on Garcia's double. A pair of walks loaded the bases before a balk on Eastern New Mexico starting pitcher, Russell Edwards, tied the score. Another balk scored the third run before a two-out, seing-eye single by senior
Nick Gonzales put the Cowboys up four.
A Mark Foley single and a two-run blast by Daniel Ward tied the game in the top of the sixth, but the Cowboys retook the lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, senior
Morgan McCasland hit his second triple of his Highlands career. A sacrifice fly by Cervantes scored McCasland before Garcia hit a towering shot to right-center field to put the Cowboys up 12-10.
McCasland went from behind the plate to the mound for the top of the seventh. After a groundout, McCasland gave up a single, walk and a double cut the lead in half and put the go ahead runs in scoring position. McCasland proceeded to strikeout the next two batters as he recorded his first save of his collegiate career as the Cowboys held on to win by one.
Keenan Dodd led the visitors as he was a double away from the cycle in five at-bats with four RBIs and two runs scored. Charles Sanberg Jr. had three hits in five at-bats with a run scored and an RBI. Jonathon Joy took the loss, allowing one hit and one run to fall to 0-1.
Highlands put up a crooked number in every inning but the sixth in a 17-11 win in the nightcap. Two lead-off walks came around to score in the top of the first on no hits for the Greyhounds, but the Cowboys took the lead for good with four runs in the bottom of the first, second and third. Senior
Andrew Ratterman led off the first with his third home run of the season . Two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases before a junior
Kenneth Fudge RBI walk tied the score. Junior
Jesus Caporal hit a sacrifice fly and senior
Colby Wilmer added a two out, RBI single to cap the first.
Gonzales and Garcia each hit a two-run blast in the third to open up a Cowboys 12-2 lead.
With Highlands up 14-4, the Greyhounds struck for seven to climb within three. Matthew Burks walked before a fielding error put a pair into scoring position. Daniel Ward drove in a run with an infield single before Justin Paul cleared the bases with a two-RBI triple. Dylan Nault drove in the fourth run of the inning with a single before C lyde Kendrick hit a double to put a pair on before Julian heredia blasted a home run to left field to cut the lead to seven.
The Cowboys added a trio of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cervantes and Garcia doubled before Fudge's single drove in the second run of the inning with single. Fudge stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on senior
EJ Stanton's two-out single.
Kendrick led the Greyhounds with three hits in four at-bats with two runs scored and an RBI. Heredia had a home run in three at-bats with three RBIs and a run scored. James Gray made it only an inning for Eastern New Mexico, allowing four runs on four hits.
The Cowboys will look for their first series win of the year tomorrow when they take on Eastern New Mexico in the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for noon.
