LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Regis University baseball team (10-22, 5-14 RMAC) earned a doubleheader split against the New Mexico Highlands University Cowboys (11-21, 4-15 RMAC) on Saturday. The Rangers hung five runs on the Cowboys in the fifth-inning of game to secure a 7-5 win. NMHU took game two, 6-7, with a walk-off single, the Cowboys' second walk-off of the series. The second game featured six total home runs, three for each squad.
 
How It Happened | Game one: In a game that saw both teams end with nine total hits, it was the team that got hotter, later that sealed the game 7-5. The Cowboys took an early 1-4 lead after scoring four runs on four hits in the first inning. NMHU began the bottom of the first with three-straight hits before freshman Brayden Brooks was able to settle in on the mound.
 
Brooks allowed just one more run on four more hits through 4.1 innings. Although he surrendered five total runs, he left the game with his team ahead 7-5, thanks to an offensive explosion in the fifth inning.
 
RU scored one run on two hits and an error in the first inning before adding one more run on two hits in the third inning. It wasn't until the fifth inning that Regis came alive for a five-run rally in the fifth.
 
Freshman Jacob Barr, who reached via a lead-off hit-by-pitch, was moved around the bases with three-straight singles by senior Mickey Meinhofer, junior Ryan Tierney and senior Connor Rochon. Senior Logan Helfebower tallied the fourth and final single of the inning. His hit scored both Tierney and Meinhofer and moved Rochon into scoring position. Rochon came around to score the Rangers' fourth run of the inning after Back-to-back batters were walked. Freshman Ryan Hutchinson recorded his first-career RBI when he sent a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring the final run of the inning in Heflebower.
 
Both teams accounted for just one more hit in the final two innings. Junior Cobe Karhoff recorded his first-career save after coming in to face the last batter of the game.
 
Game Notes | Game one: Meinhofer (3-4) totaled three hits for the second-straight game to lead the team to a nine-hit total. Rochon (2-3, 1 RBI) was the only other RU batter with multiple hits. Heflebower (1-4, 2 RBI) lead the team with two RBI's.
 
Brooks (3-1) joins Heibult as the two Regis pitchers with three wins. Brooks went 4.1 innings in his win, allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out two batters. Karhoff got his first-career save after forcing a flyout to end the game.
 
How It Happened | Game Two: The Rangers had three hits and three left on base in three innings of play. They were held scoreless while the Cowboys scored three runs on three hits to take a 0-3 edge after three complete.
 
RU, however, overcame the three-run deficit with four runs of their own in the top of the fourth inning. Junior Coby Zimmerman and Heflebower both hit singles through the left side, respectively, to lead-off the inning. Zimmerman scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly by freshman Miguel Marquez. Freshman Thomas Alexander followed with his first hit of the day. The double placed himself and Heflebower in scoring position. Sophomore Kennedy Phillips was down 0-2 in the pitch count before sending his first homerun of the season over the right field wall. His homerun scored three runs to take a 4-3 advantage.
 
The Cowboys tied the game with one run in the bottom of the fourth and eventually took the lead with one more run in the fifth inning. Both runs were scored by way of the long ball.
 
Regis answered with two solo-homers of their own in the seventh inning, prevailing them to a 6-5 lead. The home runs came from Rochon and Zimmerman, respectively.
 
Another solo homerun came across the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, evening the score at six. The Cowboys earned another walk-off win in the ninth-inning, scoring one run on three hits, a balk, and an intentional walk.
 
Game Notes | Game Two: Eight different Rangers recorded a hit and three of them went yard. Barr (3-4) tallied his first-career multiple hit game, leading RU to a team total of 13.
 
Phillips and Alexander both had a team-high seven putouts while Heflebower added a team-high three assists.
 
Freshman Justin Kleinsorge got the start on the mound. He went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He fanned five Cowboy batters. Senior Matt Heibult (3-2) was given the loss after surrendering the last run on four hits.
 
Up Next for the Rangers: The Regis University baseball team will conclude their four-game series against New Mexico Highlands University with a nine-inning game tomorrow, April 7 at 12 p.m.