Box Score
KEARNEY, Neb. - Metro State rallied with three runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game, but No. 14/7 New Mexico Highlands edged Metro State 4-3 in 10 innings to eliminate the Roadrunners from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament on Thursday. Metro State finishes its season with a 21-23 record, while NMHU improved to 37-10.
It was the second day in a row the Roadrunners fell in 10 innings after losing 16-15 on Wednesday to Mesa State.
Highlands got off to a hot start in the first two innings on Thursday. The Cowboys scored one in the first, putting together a two-out rally after Bradshaw Perry (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) retired the first two batters. They added two more in the second on four singles.
Perry settled down and went on to toss eight innings, while scattering nine hits and striking out four.
Meanwhile, Metro State left runners on in the second, third, sixth and seventh innings, and had runners erased on double plays in the fourth and fifth.
After No. 9 hitter Tommy Frikken (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.) flew out to start the eighth inning, Chris Redding (Northglenn, Colo./Northglenn H.S.) singled up the middle. After a strikeout, David Fox (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) doubled to left, scoring Redding for Metro State's first run. Jordan Stouffer (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) then blasted his fourth home run in the past two games to tie the game, a two-run shot to left field.
Cody Henry (Thornton, Colo./Legacy H.S.) walked to open the ninth, but was left on third base. Reliever Nate Van Bibber (Littleton, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) come on for Perry in the bottom of the ninth and pitched around a one-out single.
The Roadrunners went down in order in the top of the 10th. Van Bibber surrendered a one-out single. After a sacrifice bunt and a ground out advanced Kyle Gutchewsky to third, Christian Garcia delivered the game-winning hit up the middle to end the game.
Redding finished his Metro State career with a 2-for-5 day. Fox also had two hits.
