DENVER – MSU Denver dropped a 12-6 decision to New Mexico Highlands on Friday, a disappointing result in the opener of a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
New Mexico Highlands (5-16 overall, 3-5 RMAC) took a 6-2 lead with five third-inning runs, added two more in the fourth and four in the seventh to build a 12-3 lead.
 
Cam Yuran and Jayden Cordova each had two hits to the lead the offense for the Roadrunners (13-10, 4-5) and Tyler Phillips pitched 2 2/3 scoreless relief innings as MSU Denver pitchers recorded 14 strikeouts.
 
MSU Denver is 11-1 when holding the opponent to seven runs or less, and is 12-2 when teams foes score fewer than 10.
 
"We just didn't play very well," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "Our pitching didn't really give us a chance and that was the first game where our hitters, I think it got to them. We just kept giving up runs. We were going to be able to get back into it, we would just have to outscore them, but we just didn't do it."
 
The series continues Saturday with a noon doubleheader.