GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – No. 3 Colorado Mesa suffered a 17-3 setback in the opening game of a four-game series with No. 25 Cal Baptist on Thursday afternoon at Suplizio Field. The Mavericks suffered their first double-digit loss since May 10, 2012 when they lost to CSU-Pueblo 16-5.
 
Colorado Mesa staked Cal Baptist to a 3-0 lead after an inning and a half of play but responded in the bottom of the second.
 
The Mavericks tallied a run on a sac fly by Kevin Mitchell that scored PJ Gonzalez. That cut the lead to 3-1.
 
Cal Baptist hit back-to-back homeruns in the four run third inning. After a leadoff walk, Stephen Lohr hit a homerun to straight away right field followed by an Antonio Chavarria homerun to right center.
 
Starter Matt Delay lasted just 2.2 innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits, walked two and struck out three.
 
The Mavericks answered back in the bottom of the third on a RBI groundout by Austin Wallingford and a RBI single by Gonzalez to cut the lead to 7-3.
 
Cal Baptist responded with 10 unanswered runs to close out the game.
 
Freshman Tyler Sandoval pitched the eighth and ninth innings and picked up the only shutout innings for Colorado Mesa. He allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out two.
 
Gonzalez and Andy Scott each had two hits for the Mavericks.
 
The series will continue tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12:00pm at Suplizio Field.