Cowboys drop slugfest to No. 16 Orediggers, 15-14

GOLDEN, Colorado --- The New Mexico Highlands baseball team dropped a slugfest to No. 16 Colorado School of Mines 15-14 on Sunday in the series finale against the Orediggers.
 
The Cowboys (7-9 overall, 0-4 RMAC) took an early lead on Mines (13-2, 4-0) as Justin DeHoog ripped a two-run double to left center field to make it 2-0.
 
But the Orediggers answered with a six-run first of their own and eventually built a 13-4 lead on NMHU after five innings.
 
However, the Cowboys didn't go away as a two-run Jared Brown home run and an RBI single by Eloy Reyna in the sixth cut the lead to 13-7 and a DeHoog two-run double and a Reyna three-run homer in the seventh cut the Cowboys' deficit to one at 13-12.
 
The Orediggers, however, scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to only be answered with two runs by the Cowboys in the top of the eighth on a Gaylan Young RBI groundout and an Aidan McNichol RBI single made it 15-14.
 
The Cowboys threatened to at least tie the game in the ninth as Reyna hit a one-out single and Carlos Ramirez was hit by a pitch – but a lineout and a ground out ended the game.
 
DeHoog finished the game 3-for-6 with four RBI, two doubles and two runs for NMHU, Kalen Hammer went 3-for-5 with two runs, Reyna went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, Brown finished 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and two runs and Joe Cilladi went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run.
 
Tyler Winkler picked up the loss, going 4.1 innings and giving up 13 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits with two strikeouts and two walks. The Cowboy bullpen was strong in 3.2 innings of work (Cameron Polich 1.2 innings, Cody McGaha one inning, Carl Shonrock one inning) – giving up two unearned runs on one hit with three strikeouts and two walks.
 
NMHU returns to action Friday as the Cowboys begin a four-game series at home against MSU Denver 3 p.m. Friday.