The CCU Cougar baseball team traveled to Las Vegas, N.M. for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader to conclude their 2018 RMAC season. With the RMAC tournament out of reach, the baseball team is playing to improve upon their most successful RMAC record in program history. After the day one split the Cougars record sits at 18-27 (13-20 RMAC).
 
Game 1:
 
Game one started with cloudy and cool conditions in New Mexico, but it didn't take too long for the bats to warm up. NMHU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the 2^nd inning to take a 2-0 lead early. It wouldn't take long for CCU to answer though as the Cougars would put up a five spot in the top of the third inning. In the inning, Scotty Wright would drive in two with a double to center field, Austin Maltby would waste no time with a home run to left center to bring himself and Wright in, and Hunter Hays would score later in the inning off a Cowboys error, making the score 5-2.
 
The game would go quiet for the next three innings, with neither team recording a hit until the Cougars broke the silence in the top of the 6^th inning when a pair of NMHU errors paved the way for a Cougar run to score, increasing the lead to 6-2.
 
The Cowboys weren't about to lay down to the Cougars though and came racing back in the bottom of the 6^th inning to score four runs of their own, just one earned, to tie the game at six all.
 
The top of the 7^th saw CCU retake the lead when Scotty right worked the Cowboy pitcher and took his sixth pitch over the left field wall for Wrights second homerun season, putting the Cougars back up 7-6. That lead would not last long though, as NMHU would plate another run in the bottom of the 7^th, tying up the game yet again. That tie would last through extra innings until, in the bottom of the 12^th inning, the Cowboys worked to put runners on first and second with two outs and walked it off with a single to right center, giving the home team the 8-7 win.
 
Joey Loranger took to the mound to start what was likely his last RMAC contest in game one. Joey threw seven innings in game one allowing just four earned runs and striking out three Cowboys before being relieved in the 8^th inning with a no decision. In all, the Cougar pitching staff for game one allowed just five earned runs on 11 hits while walking six and striking out only four.
 
At the plate CCU did well making contact, notching 12 hits of their own, but CCU left 10 runners on the diamond in game one and did not make NMHU pay nearly enough for the four walks, four errors, a balk and a hit by pitch committed by the Cowboys in the game.
 
Game 2:
 
The second game of the day started out much more quietly than game one, with no runs and only three hits being tallied in the first half of the seven-inning game. New Mexico started the scoring off in the bottom of the 4^th inning plating one run after the leadoff man walked and stole second, eventually scoring on a single to center field.
 
The Cougars answered in the next half inning when senior Jerry Gallegos singled to left field, scoring Joel Manzano. For Gallegos this hit would be his 50^th of the season, and 237^th of his career, bestowing upon him the CCU all-time career hits record. As much as Gallegos surely appreciated breaking the record, and not having to think about it any longer, the game was not only not over, but only tied, so getting his team a win was no doubt the only thing on his mind.
 
The scoring drought would return, this time for two and a half innings until the Cowboys again broke through and scored a run, this time off a triple. The Cougars now trailed by one going into the 7^th and final inning of the game.
 
In the top of the 7^th inning, CCU would put to rest any doubt about their dedication to ending the season strongly. The first run was notched on Austin Atkersons sac fly to left center, scoring Bayles, but the real fireworks would come in the next at bat. Scoty Wright would launch his third homerun of the season, and in the past three games, to score three more Cougars and put CCU up by a score of 5-2, the eventual final score.
 
Alex Ginn got the start in game two and went the full seven innings to notch his second win of the season and first complete game. He allowed just two earned runs on five hits, while striking out 10, a team high for the season.
 
Offensively for the day, the Cougars were led by Scotty Wright and his two home runs on the day, going 4-8 on the day with three runs and six RBI's.
 
The Cougars will play another doubleheader on Saturday to close out the 2018 RMAC season. Game times are set for 12:00 p.m. and roughly 3:00 p.m.