After dropping a tight pitchers' duel Thursday to town-rival Desert Ridge, Highland's baseball team kept its playoff hopes alive Friday night with a barrage of hits. The Hawks cranked out 16 hits and used a six-run, second inning to produce a 12-8 win overt visiting Red Mountain in a Division I contest.

The Jakes -- Brown and Smith -- picked up three hits apiece to pace Highland. Smith knocked in three runs with a first-inning double and two-run single in the second. The big blow in the second followed Smith's single. Right fielder Kevan Elcock, who tripled home run in the first, launched a three-run homer to cap the uprising and finish Red Mountain starter Matthias Ruckle. Ruckle allowed eight runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Highland improved to 15-8 overall and is 10-6 in power-ranking games heading to the final two games of the regular season next week. Highland plays host to Desert Ridge on Tuesday and visits Basha on Wednesday. Highland was ranked 27th in Friday's power-rankings and likely will need to win both games to crack the top 24 and qualify for state. The Division I state tournament begins Saturday April 27.

Jake Brown earned the victory for Highland with five innings of work. He was touched for nine hits and five runs, but did not walk a batter and struck out four. Tre Tyler and Jake Smith finished up with an inning of work apiece. Highland had four players with two hits each -- Trevor Elcock, Kevan Elcock, Ryan McCord and Jordan Pingree. The Hawks picked up three extra runs -- all unearned - in the sixth that provided a needed cushion. Red Mountain sent eight batters to the plate in the seventh, scored three runs and had two runners on base when the final out was recorded.

Red Mountain had a good night at the plate as well, collecting 14 hits. A tough last seven days for Red Mountain, however, has zapped its playoff hopes. A 10-3 loss to Mesa Mountain View on April 12, a 15-6 loss to Mesa on Wednesday and Friday's loss dropped the Mountain Lions to 13-13, 7-9 prg.

The hitting star Friday for Red Mountain was shortstop Jordan Zimmerman. Zimmerman homered twice -- in the fifth and seventh. He drove in three runs and added a double. Brandon Wileman, Brody Ryan, Alex Sepulveda and Austin Hunter chipped in two hits apiece.