DENVER, Colo. - The Metro State baseball team fell 10-8 in 10 innings on Sunday in the final game of a four-game series with New Mexico Highlands at Auraria Field in Denver. The loss was Metro State's third of the weekend and second close loss after blowing a ninth-inning lead on Friday. Metro State is now 14-11 overall and 5-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while New Mexico Highlands improved to 12-11 overall and 6-6 in the RMAC.

Marcel Dominguez and Mike Coffey led the offense with three hits each, including a home run for Dominguez. Chris Redding and Matt McConnell each had two hits as well. Dakota Nahm blasted a grand slam in the third inning.

Ross MacDonald suffered the loss, allowing three unearned runs in 4.2 innings of relief. Richard Nicasio earned the victory for the Cowboys, pitching three scoreless innings of relief.

Metro State led 1-0 in the first when Jordan Stouffer drove home McConnell with a base hit to right after McConnell reached on a single and stole second.

Highlands took a brief 2-1 lead in the third on two-run single by Jason Carr.

With two outs in the third, Coffey reached on an error, and following a single by McConnell and a walk to Stouffer, Nahm blasted a grand slam over the left field fence to put the Roadrunners ahead 5-2.

NMHU tied the game 5-5 in the top of the fourth with three runs, but Metro State answered with Dominguez's blast to left to keep the Roadrunners in front 6-5.

But against the Cowboys scored two in the fifth and one in the seventh to lead 8-6. The Roadrunners pushed two across in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score 8-8. Dominguez led off with a single to right and Tommy Frikken followed with a triple to right to cut the lead in half. Frikken scored one batter later on a base hit by Redding.

The Roadrunners had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth after getting two on with nobody out, but Nicasio shut the door with three groundouts to end the threat.

Highlands led off the 10th with Kyle Gutchewsky reaching on an error. MacDonald then got two ground outs before intentionally walking Christian Garcia. After hitting Matt Wilder with a pitch to load the bases, MacDonald gave way to reliever Ryan Eccles who allowed a two-run single to left by Crespin Perez for the game-winning hit.

Metro State went down in the 10th without scoring, despite Coffey hitting a one-out single.

The Roadrunner travel to Colorado Mines next weekend for a four-game series in Golden.