GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – No. 12 Colorado Mesa needed a late-inning comeback to claim a 9-7 win over Montana State Billings in the home opener for the Mavericks on Friday afternoon at Suplizio Field.
 
Colorado Mesa took an early 1-0 lead off a PJ Gonzalez solo home run in the bottom of the second.
 
The Yellowjackets answered with four runs in the top of the third off a pair of homeruns in the inning. They added three in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead into the sixth inning.
 
After loading the bases with two-outs, Kyle Serrano hit into a fielder's choice where everyone was safe scoring a run, followed by an Andrew Contreras infield fly ball that Billings couldn't come up with that scored two runs.
 
Bligh Madris followed with a RBI single through the left side of the infield and a Gonzalez double that scored a run.
 
In all the Mavericks tallied five runs (four earned) on three hits, one error and left two on to tie the game at 7-7.
 
Contreras came back up in the seventh and delivered a two-run single to give the Mavericks a 9-7 lead. He was thrown out at second base after trying to stretch the single into a double.
 
In the comeback, Jett Wodiuk was the calming force on the mound for Colorado Mesa. Wodiuk gave up a double to his first batter but came back and got the next two batters out.
 
Wodiuk pitched 3.1 innings and allowed four hits and struck out one to earn his first victory of the season.
 
Freshman Taylor Dye pitched the final inning and a third to record the save.
 
The two teams will be back on the diamond tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 12pm.