LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Five runs in the first and second innings from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team powers the squad to a game one victory over the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
- Final: UCCS 10, NMHU 5
- Records: UCCS (16-12, 5-7 RMAC) | NMHU (8-17, 0-9)
- Facility | Location: Brandt Baseball Field | Las Vegas, N.M.
- All-Time Series: UCCS improves on their lead in the all-time series against the Cowboys, now leading 29-7.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UCCS got the bats moving right away on Friday afternoon, with three of their first four hitters collecting knocks to start the game. Bryce Peterson led the way with a one-out single to left with Kit Wigington and Hayden Iverson each following with base hits of their own. Peterson would come around on Iverson's single, with Wigington coming in as well as the Cowboys misplayed the ball in right field allowing Iverson to move to second as well. NMHU would limit the damage to two, headed to the plate with UCCS having the the first lead of the game.
- Jason Fink took the mound for UCCS, looking to bounce back after tough outings in his last three appearances. Watching Friday, you would never know as Fink was in control on the mound and worked an effortless first inning to keep the Cowboys off the board.
- In the second inning, UCCS found paydirt again. A one-out walk put Trevor Dale aboard, with the redshirt sophomore putting himself in scoring position with a stolen base. Mikey Brinton brought Dale home two batters later, as Bryce Peterson and Kit Wigington again combined for two straight hits to score another pair for UCCS. That would be all for the Mountain Lions in the second, as UCCS took the commanding 5-0 lead to the bottom of the inning.
- New Mexico Highlands put numbers up for the first time in the second, as a pair of lead off walks would come back to cost UCCS. Seth Galfano's lead off pass would be made up for as Tyler Buchman cut him down at second trying to steal, but Tony Leger's one-out walk would cause issue when Roman Robles followed with an RBI double to score Leger. An error from Dale at short to allow Chase Stewart to reach would continue the threat, now with runners on first and second and just one out. Ryan Callanan then singled home Robles, but UCCS threw out Stewart at third for the second out. Fink collected himself after allowing the traffic and forced a ground ball to end the inning, as the Cowboys cut into the lead, 5-3.
- After the Mountain Lions went quietly in the top of the third, Gael Bernal blasted a homer to lead off the bottom half of the inning. The Cowboys looked to add as Bryant O'Neil and Forrest Simpson both reached after the homer, but UCCS said not so fast as they turned the 5-4-3 triple play to end the inning the first in UCCS Baseball history. Though, New Mexico Highlands continued to chip away at the UCCS lead.
- The Mountain Lions got back to their offense in the sixth, with Tyler Buchman leading off with a base hit, then scoring on Kit Wigington's double to batters later. Hayden Iverson and Dillon Vroman would both reach on a walk and single, respectively, as Caleb Chance made his way to the box with the bases full of Mountain Lions. Chance would come through with a single after a Cowboy pitching change, as UCCS tacked on two more in the inning, pushing the lead back to four at 7-3.
- NMHU responded with another lead off home run, this time from Bryant O'Neil, but UCCS would retire the next three to return to the plate up 7-4.
- UCCS continued their push in the top of the eighth, with Wigington, Iverson, and Vroman all reaching to start the frame. Vroman's at-bat saw the Mountain Lion right fielder reach on an error at shortstop, with Iverson moving up to third and Wigington scoring on the gaff. Caleb Chance then was interfered with at the plate by Cowboys catcher Bryant O'Neal to put the senior on first and bring Iverson in from third, as UCCS matched their largest lead of the game at five, leading 9-4.
- Both teams would add a run over the last inning and a half, with UCCS earning the game one victory 10-5 in New Mexico.
GAME STATISTICS
- Mikey Brinton, Bryce Peterson, Kit Wigington, and Hayden Iverson all had doubles in game one, with Wigington, Iverson, and Trevor Dale all having 2 RBI outings.
- Seven of the nine UCCS hitters recorded hits Friday, with five hitters driving in runs, and all hitters reaching base.
- Jason Fink (4-2) gets back in the win column for UCCS throwing a solid 7.1 innings, as Dominick Castillo (1-3) suffers the loss for the Cowboys.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- In the bottom of the third, UCCS went around the horn to turn the first triple play in program history, escaping a serious scoring threat with one swing of the bat.
- UCCS matches their win total from a season ago with their 16th win of the spring, doing so with 22 games still to play.
- UCCS' win this afternoon improves their win streak against NMHU to eight straight.
UP NEXT
- UCCS continues the series against NMHU tomorrow with a doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
