Box Score

LAS VEGAS, N.M. - Metro State used a complete game by fill-in starting pitcher Nate Van Bibber (Littleton, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) to earn a 7-1 win at New Mexico Highlands to complete the four-game series sweep and extend its winning streak to a season-long six games on Sunday in Las Vegas, N.M. The Roadrunners improved to 20-8 overall and 16-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while NMHU fell to 15-17 and 9-14.

Van Bibber, who joined the rotation this weekend to replace injured starter Jake Draeger (Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis H.S.), had made just one mid-week start this season, but has been one of the top relievers all year, appearing in eight games out of the bullpen.

Sunday, he threw all nine innings, allowing just eight hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

It was Metro State's second nine-inning complete game of the weekend.  Bradshaw Perry (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) shut down the Cowboys in a 2-1 complete game victory on Friday.

After a scoreless first, each team got on the board in the second inning. Metro State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning, scoring Evan Claus (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado H.S.) on a double by Mike Coffey (Highlands Ranch, Colo./ThunderRidge H.S.) and with Coffey coming home on a base hit to center by Ty Jacobs (Denver/Cherokee Trail H.S.).

Highlands scored its lone run in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 2-1.

David Fox (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) led off the third with a double and Jordan Stouffer (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) followed with a triple to open a three-run inning. Claus then brought home Stouffer for a 4-1 lead. Jake Danneffel (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza H.S.) homered to left-center with two outs to add the fifth run for Metro State.

Metro State scored two more times in the fourth. Zach Krueger (Holyoke, Colo./Holyoke H.S.) singled to start the inning and scored on a fielder's choice by Fox. Claus later drove in Fox with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 7-1.

That was all the support Van Bibber would need as he cruised the rest of the game. He retired the Cowboys in order in the first, third, fifth and eighth innings. He did not allow a runner past first base after the fourth inning.

Offensively, the Roadrunners had 16 hits, including three from Stouffer. Kruger, David Kaplan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.), Fox, Claus and Danneffel each had two.

Metro State will host Nebraska-Kearney next weekend for a key four-game series. The Lopers are in first place in the Plains Division in the RMAC. Metro State is a half-game behind Mesa State in the Mountain Division.