LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO — During the Grizzlies final game against New Mexico Highlands the Grizzlies struggle on the mound leading to a 21-8 New Mexico Highlands win. The loss by the Grizzlies gave Highlands the sweep and moved the Grizzlies to a record of 10-32(5-19 RMAC) with 8 games remaining in the regular season.
In today's series finale game, Adams State showed offensive life but an early avalanche from New Mexico Highlands proved too much to overcome in a 21–8 loss.
Highlands struck for nine runs in the first two innings and pushed the lead to 13–2 by the end of the third, forcing Adams State to play catch-up the rest of the afternoon. The Grizzlies showed fight offensively putting together their most productive day of the series, finishing with 15 hits and scoring in four different innings.
For the Grizzlies, they answered back best in the middle innings, highlighted by a four-run fourth that showed their ability to string together quality at-bats. Christian Altamirano delivered a key swing in that stretch, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Isaiah Pruitt continued to be a spark, going 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored, while Seth Reker added a pair of hits and an RBI.
One of the biggest highlights came off the bat of Ryan Vandever, who launched his first career home run giving the Grizzlies some momentum offensively. Macs Carrillo also chipped in with two doubles while scoring twice, as multiple Adams State hitters found rhythm at the plate. In total, eight of the nine starters recorded at least one hit—a sign of a lineup that competed throughout despite the score.
Looking at Adams State's starter Jacob Janata; he ran into trouble in the first two innings, surrendering nine runs before the Grizzlies could settle in. The bullpen showed moments of resistance, but Highlands continued to capitalize on free passes and timely hitting, finishing with 18 hits and 8 walks.
Even with the deficit, Adams State continued to battle late, adding two more runs in the sixth and keeping pressure on Highlands' pitching staff until the final out.
The final score won't reflect it, but the Grizzlies' offensive output and ability to respond after a tough start offer something to build on. Cleaning up the early innings on the mound will be key for the Grizzlies down the final stretch of the season.
For the Grizzlies they are currently sitting tied for seventh place in conference just a half of a game out of sixth place which would give them a berth to the RMAC Conference tournament for the third consecutive year. The Grizzlies will look to bounce back next week and continue their race to a playoff berth as they gear up for CSU Pueblo next weekend. The Grizzlies games against CSU Pueblo will be their final home games of the regular season with game one of the series taking place next Friday, April 24th at 3 PM MST. Next weekend will be the Grizzlies Senior weekend, come out to support the Grizzlies and their Seniors as they look to lock down an RMAC Conference Tournament berth.
