Box Score

LAS VEGAS, N.M. - Metro State took over sole possession of first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Mountain Division with a 12-8 win at No. 26 New Mexico Highlands on Friday.  The Roadrunners improved to 9-6 overall and 6-1 in the RMAC, while NMHU slipped to 14-5 overall and 5-2 in the RMAC.

The Roadrunners rocked Highlands starters Drew Vassil for 14 hits and 12 earned runs in six innings.  Vassil entered the game with a 5-0 record and a 2.48 ERA.

Metro State had timely home runs from Jordan Stouffer (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.), Cody Henry (Thornton, Colo./Legacy H.S.) and David Kaplan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.), while Chris Redding (Northglenn, Colo./Northglenn H.S.) went 3-for-6 with two doubles and David Fox (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) had four hits.

Stouffer's solo home run in the second put Metro State up 1-0, but NMHU answered with three in the bottom of the inning.

Redding scored with two outs in the third when Bradshaw Perry (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) reached on a bases loaded walk.

Roadrunner starter Jake Draeger (Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis H.S.) responded with scoreless innings in the third and fourth and the offense busted out for six runs in the top of the fifth.  Redding led off with a double to left.  After a ground out advanced Redding to third, Fox ripped a double to center to tie the game at 3-3.  Stouffer then walked and Perry followed with an RBI single through the left side to give the Roadrunners the lead.  Kaplan belted his first career home run, a three-run shot after a strikeout as Metro State struck for four runs with two outs.  Redding later drove in Henry with a single, his second hit of the inning.

Draeger pitched around a leadoff home run and Henry then crushed a grand slam with two outs in the top of the sixth as the Roadrunners took a 12-4 lead.

The Cowboys scored single runs off Draeger in the sixth and seventh.  After giving way to reliever Tyler Hensen (Lakewood, Colo./Bishop Machebeuf H.S.), NMHU scored two more to cut the lead to 12-8.  But Ross MacDonald (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza H.S.) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to hold off Highlands and allow the Roadrunners to the victory.

The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.