New Mexico Highlands didn’t let up. Neither did the rain.
The Cowboys, who saw their 10-6 lead disappear in the seventh, rallied to score nine runs in the eighth and defeat Mesa State College 19-18 in the soggy RMAC baseball tournament late Friday night at Suplizio Field.
“This is a tough pill to swallow,” Mesa State coach Chris Hanks said. “Our kids battled and their kids battled. It was a hard-fought game.”
After Mesa State took a 15-10 lead in the seventh, the Cowboys came right back in the eighth.
Clay Lucas’ sacrifice fly tied the game 15-15. Three batters later, senior Ruben Sanchez hit a grand slam just inside the right-field foul pole.
Mesa State rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the winning run in scoring position when Highlands’ eighth pitcher of the day, Nick Toscani, struck out Curtis Englehart to end the game.
Highlands (31-29) plays Nebraska-Kearney at noon today, but will need to defeat the Lopers twice to win the RMAC title.
The RMAC tournament champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II West Region tournament next week.
No. 15 Mesa State (42-17) will have to wait until Sunday and hope it gets a regional berth, but it’s not likely.
“Our kids deserve to go on; they’re (regular-season) conference champions,” Hanks said.
Six teams receive regional bids, but two of them go to the RMAC tournament champion and the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament champion. Mesa State is ranked sixth in the region, the only RMAC team in the rankings.
The Mavericks, who lost an early lead in the third inning, pulled within two runs and had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth.
Mesa State designated hitter Matt Miller came up and hit a 0-1 pitch deep to right field. Highlands right fielder Kevin Ayers, though, leaped at the wall and took away a grand slam. The Cowboys got the third out when home plate umpire Ross Barlow ruled Justin Little left third base before the catch.
That’s when the rain started to pick up and didn’t let up until the ninth.
“It was tough conditions,” Hanks said. “With the rain and the muck and the wind. Oh, the wind.”
Miller, though, got another chance in the seventh, hitting a three-run home run to give the Mavericks a 13-10 lead. Chris Cassell gave Mesa a five-run lead with a two-run home run, but Highlands took the lead and the game right back in the eighth.
The Mavericks took a 5-1 lead in the first inning.
Englehart singled home Mike Provencher and scored on Cassell’s single. Chandler Herdt followed with a three-run home run.
Highlands mounted a big comeback in the third, scoring seven runs to take a 10-6 lead.
Kristian Sifuentes singled home two runs to tie the game 6-6 and chase Mesa State starter T.J. Butch. The Cowboys added two runs on sacrifice flies and a third on a Kyle Gerhart.
NEB.-KEARNEY 11, MESA ST. 3
Seth Svoboda and Ryan Seefus combined on a five-hitter to lead the Lopers to the RMAC championship game for the second consecutive year.
Seefus (5-5), who came on in relief of Svoboda in the fifth, limited the Mavericks to one run on three hits in 41/3 innings. Svoboda and Seefus managed to keep Mesa State from scoring despite walking 10 batters. The Mavericks left 13 on base.
Mesa State starter Jason Fronczak (3-1) allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings.
“They walk us 10 times and we didn’t take advantage of it,” Mesa State coach Chris Hanks said. “Fronczak did a good job pitching, but they got enough metal on it to get by us.
“Maybe we were sluggish; maybe they pitched us good. They are a good team.”
Kearney pushed a run across in the second inning then scored four runs off Fronczak in the third. Joe Gonzales doubled home a run, then Joe Nowaczyk hit a three-run home run over the batter’s eye wall in center field for a 5-0 lead.
Mesa State scored in the bottom of the third on a Matt Miller sacrifice fly off Svoboda. Mesa senior Curtis Englehart hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth, but the Mavericks left the bases loaded.
The Lopers scored one run in the seventh, then Mesa got it back in the eighth, only to see Kearney put up five runs in the ninth.
N.M. HIGHLANDS 12, COLO. MINES 6
The Cowboys, who are fourth in the nation in hitting, had 17 hits, including three home runs to eliminate the Orediggers.
All-RMAC second baseman James Mayorga went 3 for 5 with a home run and four RBI and Ruben Sanchez was 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBI for Highlands.
Cody Schweninger (3-1) picked up the victory, despite allowing four earned runs on five hits in 21/3 innings.
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E-mail Allen Gemaehlich at agemaehlich@gjds.com.
