Cowboys drop two to MSU Denver

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands baseball team was dropped both ends of a doubleheader to MSU Denver, 8-2 and 10-9, on Sunday at Brandt Field.
 
The Cowboys (7-12 overall, 0-7 RMAC) in game two jumped out to an 8-4 lead on the Roadrunners (11-7, 5-2) after two innings thanks to a three-run first inning highlighted by RBI singles from Carlos Ramirez and Jared Brown and a five-run second highlighted by a three-run homer from Justin DeHoog.
 
MSU Denver crept back into the game to tie it after a run each in the third and fourth innings and a pair of runs in the fifth to make it 8-8.
 
The Cowboys regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Nico Martinez led off the frame with a single, Thomas Wisneski sacrificed him to second and Martinez scored on a throwing error by the Roadrunners to make it 9-8.
 
But MSU Denver's Logan Soole hit a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the sixth and the Cowboys wouldn't threaten the rest of the way.
 
J.T. Mossberg picked up the loss in relief for the Cowboys going two innings and giving up two runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Kaleb Whitlock got the start for the Cowboys, going five innings and giving up eight runs (five earned) on nine hits with a strikeout and two walks.
 
Auggie Francis went 2-for-3 for NMHU with a double and two runs, Ramirez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, Kalen Hammer finished 2-for-3 with a double and a run and DeHoog finished with four RBI.
 
In the first game, three first-inning runs by the Roadrunners was enough as the Cowboys were held to two runs – a run scored on an error in the fifth and an RBI double by Joe Cilladi in the seventh – and fell to MSU Denver 8-2.
 
Francis and Cilladi each went 2-for-4 to lead the Cowboys at the plate. James Janco got the loss for NMHU, going six innings and giving up seven runs on 10 hits with seven walks and three strikeouts. Cody McGaha tossed a scoreless inning in relief for NMHU.
 
NMHU and MSU Denver conclude the series noon Monday at Brandt Field.