Cowboys drop RMAC opener at No. 16 Mines

GOLDEN, Colo. --- The New Mexico Highlands baseball team dropped its RMAC opener Friday night to No. 16 Colorado School of Mines 10-4 at Jim Darden Field.
 
The Cowboys (7-6 overall, 0-1 RMAC) fell behind 6-0 to the Orediggers (10-2, 1-0) before the NMHU bats got going in the sixth inning. Kalen Hammer started the inning with a lead-off walk before Auggie Francis blasted a two-run home run to right field to make it 6-2. It's Francis' team-leading fourth homer of the season.
 
Joe Cilladi followed with a double to left-center field, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Gaylan Young sacrifice fly to make it 6-3.
 
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Mines got those three runs right back in the bottom of the sixth, added another in the seventh before NMHU tacked on a run in the top of the ninth on a Nico Martinez RBI single to make the final 10-4.
 
Francis led the Cowboys at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBI as no other NMHU player had multiple hits. Kyle Bedsole got the loss, going four innings and giving up six runs (five earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
 
The series continues with a doubleheader at noon on Saturday.