Las Vegas, NM:The Rough Riders of Luna Community College split a pair of games with Otero Junior College Tuesday, winning game one 12-11 in dramatic fashion and losing 9-7 in the night cap..

In game one, the Rough Riders appeared to break things open early scoring nine runs in the second inning. Andrew Arellanes started off with a base on balls and center fielder James Benavidez singled. Joel Zauzueta folllwed with a single to score Arellanes and Benavidez and the rally was on. In all, the Rough Riders managed to send 13 batters to the plate collecting 12 hits. Benavidez collected two hits, singles, in the big inning,

LCC pitcher Jaron Romero cruised through the first two innings, but the Rattlers from La Junta, Colorado came right back in the top of the third inning with an eight run outburst to cut the LCC lead to 9-8.

Otero took the lead in the fifth scoring three times for an 11-9 advantage. The stage was set for a LCC comeback and dramatic win.

In the bottom of the seventh,  Zauzueta singled with one out. Ikaika Neizman walked and Victor Nevarez sacrificed the LCC baserunners up a base. With two out, Nate Trujillo doubled scoring Zauzueta and Nevarez to tie the game at 11. Levi Hannon then singled home Trujillo for the dramatic win.

Neizman went two for three for Luna as did Gavin Lujan and James Benavidez.

Lucas Dean picked up the win in relief.

In game two, Luna led after the second inning 3-0 as James Benavidez, Joel Zauzueta and  Ikaika Neizman scored off the bat of Nate Trujillo’s bases loaded double. 

After Otero scored a pair of runs in the third, Luna answered with a pair of runs of their own to lead 5-2 after three innings. Andrew Arellanes and Levi Hannon scored in the inning as Joel Zauzueta doubled.

With Luna clinging to a 5-3 lead in the fourth inning, Otero bats took off, scoring six runs in the fifth and took a 9-5 lead. Brandon Alvarez provided the big blow with a homerun to left-center field.

The Rough Riders got one of the runs back in the bottom half of the fifth as Zauzueta scored to cut the lead to 9-6.

Luna’s final run came in the sixth as Arellanes scored on a ground out.

Arellanes got a pair of hits and scored tow runs to lead Luna and Zazueta scored two runs.