HOBBS, N.M. -- The University of the Southwest baseball team split Sunday's doubleheader against New Mexico Highlands, opening the day with a 5–2 victory before falling 14–5 in the second game at The Jake Williams Field. The Mustangs now sit at 4–7 overall heading into Monday's rubber match.

In game one, Southwest relied on a strong outing from Miguel Olivas, who overcame a difficult first inning and went on to throw 6.2 innings while allowing just five hits, two runs, and striking out six on 122 pitches. His ability to settle in allowed the Southwest offense time to respond. The Mustangs produced nine hits, highlighted by a three‑RBI performance from Tim Sedillo, whose two‑run double in the fourth inning gave Southwest a comfortable 5–2 lead that held the rest of the way. Jose Rosales added two hits, including a bunt RBI single in the second, while Vyncent Chavez went 2‑for‑3 and scored twice to help pace the offense. Dong Joon Shin contributed a sacrifice fly in the first inning to put the Mustangs on the board after falling behind early. After Olivas exited, Keigo Wajima recorded the final out to secure the win.

The second game was a different story, as Southwest fell behind 8–0 in the opening inning. New Mexico Highlands collected seven hits in the frame and capitalized on defensive miscues to build a lead that the Mustangs were unable to overcome, despite showing offensive life later in the contest. Southwest used five pitchers in the loss. Zane Rush was charged with seven runs in just a third of an inning. Major Byrd followed with 2.2 innings, allowing four runs and striking out three to stabilize the game temporarily, while Noah Nunez, Ezra Kathrein, and Sam Wood combined to allow only three earned runs over the final six innings.

Offensively, the Mustangs continued to grind despite the deficit. Santiago Garcia went 2‑for‑4 with a two‑run double in the seventh inning, adding his second multi‑hit game of the day and giving Southwest a spark during a four‑run rally that cut the deficit to 12–5. Chavez finished 2‑for‑4 with two RBI on a seventh‑inning single, while Mark Gonzales chipped in an RBI sacrifice fly and reached base three times. Jadon Trujillo added a late pinch‑hit double for his first extra‑base hit of the season. Southwest finished with eight hits, but could not overcome the early eight‑run deficit or the four defensive errors committed in the game. 

Head Coach Steve Appel
"I thought our kids played decent baseball in game one. We had a good week of practice and getting back to what we do well and what any baseball team should do well. I thought our game one starter did his job after settling in after an uncharacteristic first inning, and played decent defense, and had some nice timely hitting.
Game two was obviously a different story and we simply just can't pitch it that bad after a nice win. It sets the tone for the remainder of the game. I, however, thought our positional guys did a good job pecking away at the score and eventually found ourselves at least making it somewhat of a ballgame. I also thought a couple young relievers did a good job throwing strikes.
We will get back after it tomorrow for the third and last game of the series. We have to scratch game two and find a way to win the series at home."

Southwest will conclude the series on Monday at The Jake Williams, seeking a home series win heading into conference play Friday.

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