Brown slam helps NMHU take first game, split two with No. 16 Dixie State

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- Thanks to a Jared Brown grand slam and strong relief pitching, the New Mexico Highlands baseball team took the first game of a doubleheader against No. 16 Dixie State 4-3 before dropping the second game 12-1 Saturday at Brandt Field.
 
In game one, the Cowboys – who beat Dixie State on Friday in the series opener to hand the Trailblazers their first RMAC loss – trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third before Travis Spruiell singled to right to lead off the inning, Auggie Francis was hit by a pitch and Joe Cilladi drew a walk to load the bases for Brown with two outs.
 
Brown took the first pitch he saw and turned it around for a grand slam over the right field wall to give the Cowboys (9-14 overall, 2-9 RMAC) a 4-2 lead over the Trailblazers (19-6, 9-2).
 
Dixie State got one back in the fourth inning, but James Janco and Carl Shonrock shut down the Trailblazers the rest of the way. Janco got the win, going 3.2 innings and giving up one run on five hits with two strikeouts and a walk while Shonrock got the save – going 1.1 innings and giving up a lone hit.
 
Spruiell led the Cowboys at the plate, going 3-for-3 as the only player with multiple hits while Brown drove in all four runs with the grand slam.
 
The Cowboy bats were silenced in game two as Dixie State's Jack Gonzales gave up just one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in six innings of work to pick up the win.
 
Cody McGaha got the loss for the Cowboys, going two innings and giving up five runs on four hits with two walks. At the plate, Cody Reilly led NMHU at the plate by going 2-for-2.
 
NMHU and Dixie State close out the series noon Sunday at Brandt Field.