ST. GEORGE, Utah – Colorado Mesa opened the season with a split at No. 15 Dixie State baseball on Friday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
In the season opener, it took 12 innings but the No. 12 Mavericks came away with a 10-8 win that took nearly four hours to complete.
 
The Mavericks scored a pair of runs in the top half of the 12^th inning on a wild pitch and a Dixie State error on a Zach McLeod ground ball.
 
Dixie State threatened in the bottom half of the inning after a two-out double and a hit by pitch.
 
Jarret Bott earned the win in relief, pitching the final three innings of the ball game. Bott allowed one unearned run on three hits and struck out two.
 
Sophomore JR McDermott got the start on the mound and went five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out five. He made one mistake in the bottom of the fourth inning when he gave up a two-run big fly to Dixie State's five-hole hitter.
 
Colorado Mesa welcomed back Bligh Madris who went 4-for-6 in his first appearance since the Dixie State series last season. Two of his four hits went for doubles.
 
Senior Kyle Serrano hit a grand-slam in the top half of the fifth inning that gave the Mavericks a 6-2 advantage at the time. Serrano finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored.
 
Lane LaCrone also finished the game with four hits.
 
In the night tilt, Dixie State's four-run bottom of the third was too much to overcome in a 5-2 loss for Colorado Mesa.
 
The Mavericks tried clawing back in the game but the rally was thwarted in the fourth and seventh innings.
 
Greg Reynolds finished 1-for-3 with an RBI triple while Serrano added two more hits.
 
Senior Tyler Day took the loss after throwing just three innings and allowing four runs on four hits, walked two and struck out four.
 
Colorado Mesa and Dixie State will be back in action for a single nine-inning game starting at 1pm from Bruce Hurst Field.