New Mexico Highlands fans are reminded to sign up for text updates on all Cowboys and Cowgirls news by clicking here.LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Cowboys could not keep pace with the Rangers offense Saturday (March 14) as New Mexico Highlands (8-9, 2-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost a pair of games to Regis (7-10, 3-6 RMAC).
Game two saw plenty of opportunities, but Highlands could not cash in. A costly outfield error helped Regis take a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the second, but the Cowboys exploded for three runs. With one out, senior
Joe Cervantes was hit by a pitch and fifth-year senior
Omar Garcia singled. Junior
Kenneth Fudge walked to load the bases. Junior
Jesus Caporal hit a grounder that looked like it might be a double play, but Caporal legged it out for the RBI to tie the game. A balk put he Cowboys ahead and freshman
John Jensen capped the inning with an RBI triple.
Regis fought back to take 4-3 lead in the fourth, but Caporal added a sacrifice fly to deep left to tie the ballgame headed to the fifth.
Garcia was 2-for-3 with a run while Caporal was hitless in two at-bats but did have a run scored and RBI. Junior
Avery Brandon fell to 0-3, allowing nine hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings of work.
Tied at four, the Rangers only used one pitch in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good when Ryan Benedict homored. A one out single, a stolen base, a throwing error and a two-out RBI single by CJ McGrady scored the second run of the inning. Regis added an insurance run in the seventh when Logan Knox stole second with two outs and scored on Andrew Bryniarski's single.
Weston Byers and McGrady both had home runs for the Rangers. McGrady had three hits in as many at-bats with two runs scored and an RBI. Matt Heibult picked up the win to improve to 3-1, allowing five hits and four runs. Noah Gotsis pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh for his first save of the year.
In the fifth, the Cowboys had two men in scoring position with no outs and had a man at second with no outs in the sixth but failed to score either time.
In game one, both teams sailed through the first two frames before Regis scored four in the top of the third. Garcia in the fourth and senior
Andrew Ratterman in the seventh provided the only offense for the Cowboys with RBI singles.
It started with the bottom of the order in the third for Regis as Mickey Meinhofer walked and advanced to third on a ground-rule double. Byers reached on a fielding error to score a run before Drew LaComb plated a pair with a triple. Knox followed with another triple to put the visitors up 4-0 after three innings.
McGrady led the offensive charge for Regis, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Brad Thoutt got the complete game win, allowing five hits and two runs in seven innings pitched. Senior
Anthony Badalucco took the loss for the Cowboys and fell to 1-3, allowing dive hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings of work.
The Cowboys return to action Sunday (March 15) for the series finale against Regis. First pitch is set for noon.
