GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Estevan De La O was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring a chaotic ballgame to an end Saturday afternoon at Canyon View Field, as New Mexico Highlands University walked away with a wild 16-15 win over the Montana State University Billings baseball team.
 
The 3-hour, 41-minute affair started with 10 combined runs in the first inning, and ended with each team scoring three times in the ninth. Chris Arpan hit a pinch-hit, two-out, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, pushing the Yellowjackets ahead 15-13. The Cowboys had the final say however, with a two-run double by Fabian Ferreira tying the score before the bases-loaded hit batter to end the game.
 
Daniel Cipriano and Sam Powers each hit their first home run of the season, while Arpan's was his second long ball of the year. Powers finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBIs at the plate, while Will Riley was 2-for-4 while also drawing a pair of walks and scoring two runs out of the leadoff spot in the order. "Will had an outstanding weekend, and the way he goes about things really sets the tone for us," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups on Riley's 9-for-18 performance with a team-high seven RBIs in the Yellowjackets' four games. "He played a couple games in the outfield early, then moved in to third base and made some really great plays there for us today."
 
Ferreira finished the game 3-for-6 with five RBIs to lead NMHU, while Aiden McNichol went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and his first home run of the season.
 
MSUB used four different pitchers in the game, with Mason Abrath and Logan Siblerud combining to eat up 7 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Abrath struck out four and walked three, allowing three runs on four hits in his 3 1/3 innings of work. Siblerud gave up three runs on six hits, with three strikeouts and three walks in his four innings. "Mason threw outstanding, and I was really happy to see him back on the mound," said Waddoups. "It has been a long time coming for him, and he threw solid with some small innings to help keep us in the game. Logan threw great in his first collegiate outing. His fastball was electric, and he had an explosive slider. It was a beautiful outing, and he really competed well getting us out of a lot of big jams."
 
For the Cowboys, Mason Myhre made the start and gave up seven runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks in 4 1/3 innings of work. John Slape, Jadrian Martinez, and Gavin Gifford combined to finish the game out of the bullpen, with Martinez's perfect inning standing out for the NMHU staff.
 
The Yellowjackets (0-4) jumped out to an early lead with a three-run first inning highlighted by a Dylan Johnson two-run single. NMHU (2-2) poured on seven runs in the bottom of the inning however, and MSUB committed four errors in the lengthy frame.
 
The 'Jackets trailed 10-5 by the top of the fifth inning, but put together a rally to get back into the game. Ten batters came to the plate in the fifth, and four different players had RBIs as MSUB pulled the score even at 10-10.
 
Each team scored twice in the sixth, before a two-out, RBI-single off the bat of De La O in the bottom of the eighth put the Cowboys three outs from a win up 13-12. Riley drew a walk to lead off the ninth, and after the next two batters were retired the 'Jackets had their backs against the wall sending Arpan to the plate down to their final out. The senior crushed his 16th-career home run over the fence in left field, prompting an uproar from the MSUB dugout as the 'Jackets swiped the lead late.
 
AJ Wagenmann, who has been in the MSUB program since the 2018 season, earned his first collegiate start behind the plate, making nine putouts and adding a pair of assists. After making his collegiate debut with a pinch hit at-bat on Friday, Wagenmann scored his first run on Saturday. "I was proud of AJ," Waddoups said of the fourth-year senior. "He did a good job behind the plate, blocking a lot of balls and giving us a chance. I'm happy for him and having that next-man-up mentality."
 
THE BUZZ: Arpan was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 0-2 all-time against New Mexico Highlands.
 
NEXT WEEK: The 'Jackets are on the road again, taking on University of Colorado Colorado Springs in a four-game series. Live video will be available online here and live stats will be available online here. "The longer we play the better we are going to get," Waddoups said. "We will clean up some little things in order to be where we want once conference play starts rolling. I'm optimistic about next week in Colorado Springs."