Alamosa, Colo. – Adams State baseball outslugged N.M. Highlands in a wild 21-18 victory Friday afternoon at home, using a pair of late-inning rallies to secure the win. 

The Grizzlies pounded out 19 hits and scored in six of eight innings, highlighted by a six-run third, five-run seventh and six-run eighth inning. 

After trailing 1-0 early, Adams State answered the second when Seth Reker launched a solo home run to center. Later in the inning, Christian Altamirano delivered a two-RBI double to give the Grizzlies a 3-1 lead. 

Highlands responded with a five-run third and a three-run fourth to swing momentum back in its favor, but Adams State countered with its biggest frame of the day in the bottom of the third. The Grizzlies plated six runs on seven hits, highlighted by RBI knocks from Reker, Austin Yi, Altamirano, and Ayden Tauscher to take a 9-5 lead. 

The back-and-forth battle continued as Highlands reclaimed the lead at 10-9 in the fifth and extended it to 11-9 in the sixth. Adams State trimmed the deficit to one in the sixth before erupting again in the seventh. Isaiah Pruitt drove in two with a sing, Tauscher added an RBI knock and Reker brought home two more as the Grizzlies scored five runs to regain control at 15-11. 

Adams State added critical insurance in the eighth, scoring six more runs. Altamirano tripled home a run before Pruitt, Tauscher, and Josh Parks each drove in runs to stretch the lead to 21-14. 

Altamirano led the offense, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs, two doubles and a triple. Reker finished 3-for-6 with six RBIs, including the second-inning homer, while tauscher added four hits and two RBIs. Pruitt chipped in three RBIs in the win. 

On the mound, Joe Marek earned the win in relief, tossing 2.2 innings, while Osaias Hinojosa picked up the save. 

Adams State improves to 3-13 on the season with the Victory.