DENVER - The Cowgirls rallied for a key win against the second-place Roadrunners in the first game of the day before leaving nothing in doubt in the second game against the Yellow Jackets as New Mexico Highlands softball (11-17, 6-11 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) knocked off host Metropolitan State University of Denver (21-9, 12-4 RMAC) 4-3 before the dominating 6-0 win against Black Hills State (4-19, 3-15) Saturday (March 28) in RMAC pod play in Denver.
MSU Denver took the 3-2 after five innings in the first game of the day, but the Cowgirls regained the lead on a key two-RBI single by sophomore Katelyn Bates. Senior Jacki Wood led off the top of the sixth with a single and advanced to third on a one-out double by junior Ashton Borunda. Bates poked the single up the middle as the Cowgirls went from down one to up a single tally in one swing of the bat.
Highlands retired the Roadrunners in order in the sixth and a lineout double play in the seventh ended the ballgame.
Freshman Michelle Brincefield evened her record to 4-4 on the year, allowing only four hits and three runs (one earned) for the complete game win. Freshman Destiny Navarro made the most of her only hit in four at-bats, slamming her second home run of the season to center field in the first inning. Borunda had two doubles in four at-bats with a run scored and an RBI, driving in Wood for the other Cowgirl run in the fourth.
After MSU Denver scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first, the home team took the brief lead in the bottom of the fifth. Britney Thomas singled and was sacrificed to second. Susie Oury than tied the score with a two-out triple and scored on another Highland error. But the visitors answered with two in the top of the sixth for the win.
Thomas led the offensive charge for MSU Denver, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Nicole Larsen (6-2) took the loss in the circle, allowing seven hits and all four runs in 5.1 innings of work.
After the win in game one, the Cowgirls left nothing to chance against Black Hills State in game two. Both teams failed to score in the first before sophomore Gabby Hansell doubled and scored on a pair of wild pitches in the second. Hansell singled to begin the fourth and scored on Ka'iulana Kamai's two-out single.
However, Highlands exploded for four runs in the fifth. Navarro, Borunda and Bates all singled to begin the inning before Hansell plated a pair with a single. A double play scored a third run and a throwing error and a Kamai RBI single scored the final run of the game.
Senior Jessica Brink (5-7) allowed just four hits with five strikeouts for the complete game win. In fact, only one Yellow Jacket advanced past third the whole game. Hansell had three hits in as many at-bats with two runs scored and two RBI's. Kamai added a pair of hits and two RBI's.
The Cowgirls return to action tomorrow at noon against Black Hills State before battling the hosts shortly after the conclusion of the Yellow Jackets game.
