Rival NMHU, ENMU sluggers square off

For most baseball teams, a 15-0 hole is pretty much the same as a grave.

Dave Kavanaugh/Optic photo

Highlands first baseman Derek Ward calls for a pickoff throw from pitcher Ray Torres during Saturday’s second game with Eastern New Mexico. The Cowboys won a wild one in Friday’s series opener before losing two on Saturday.

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Maybe the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys are The Walking Dead.

Improbably, Highlands erased that deficit in the season debut against Eastern New Mexico on Friday afternoon at Brandt Park, going on to win 22-16.

The Cowboys didn’t fare as well Saturday, however, losing a couple of close games by 5-2 and 6-5 margins. The instate rivals were to wrap the series on Sunday afternoon.

While Saturday’s tight battles held their own intrigue, fans were still buzzing about the wild one on Friday.

The Greyhounds sandwiched two three-run innings around their nine-run third to seize a 15-0 advantage. Colton Sims belted a two-run homer as part of the 11-hit barrage for Eastern in that third inning.

But the Cowboy bats awoke with a  vengeance in the bottom of the fourth, punishing ENMU starter Brett Humphries and then relievers Dylan Montaño and Logan Alaways. Josh McMahon’s grand slam highlighted the Cowboys’ own 10-hit, 14-run blitzkrieg, and suddenly they were within one run.

In the sixth, Highlands tied the score on Jordan Goliat’s RBI triple, then took the lead for good on Kyle Davis’ two-run bomb.

The outcome spoiled a brilliant triple play in the eighth for the Greyhounds.

McMahon (4 of 4,  four RBI), Goliat (4 for 4, three RBI), Davis (3 of 4, six RBI), Jordan Falcon (3 for 4), and Javier Ledford (3 of 6) led the NMHU offense.

Highlands spotted ENMU five runs over the first three frames Saturday and could only muster one apiece in the fifth and sixth against Ben Monticello and Kyle Kesmarki.

NMHU led 5-4 after four innings in Saturday’s second game, but Eastern pushed across two unanswered runs in  the top of the sixth.

It was a dominant outing for Hound pitcher Ryan Pruitt, who gave up one hit — and no other baserunners — in four innings of relief work.