GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Junior McKenzie Surface threw a 14-strikeout no-hitter to lead the nation's third-ranked Colorado Mesa University Mavericks to a 6-0 Game 1 victory before fellow junior Kimbri Herring struck out a career-high nine hitters while allowing just three hits in an 11-1, 6-inning nightcap win in six as the Mavericks took both games of their home and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-opening doubleheader against visiting Chadron State College on Sunday here at the CMU Softball Stadium.
 
Surface, the RMAC's Preseason Pitcher of the Year, improved to 7-0 as she set a new career-high for strikeouts surpassing her previous best of 12 last year against Black Hills State.
 
The no-hitter is CMU's first since Ashley Pulido tossed a perfect game on Mar. 15, 2014 at New Mexico Highlands.
 
The Mavericks, who improved to 12-0 with their 25th and 26th straight home wins over the last two seasons, also used their speed and stole 15 bases throughout the doubleheader, including eight in the first game, putting pressure on the Eagle defense.
 
Chadron State fell to 2-10 with their sixth and seventh consecutive losses.
 
Game 1
 
Surface walked two Chadron State hitters in the opening inning but struck out the side before the Mavericks scored the opening run on a Brooke Hodgson RBI double that plated lead-off Maggie Manwarren, who had three stolen bases in the game and five on the day.
 
The Mavericks then tacked on two more in the second as an Eagle throwing error on an Abby Toller sacrifice bunt allowed Kellie Mrofcza to score from second.  Toller and Kaila Jacobi, who had followed Mrofcza's lead-off single with a walk, then executed a successful double steal for the Mavs' third run of the game.
 
The Mavericks then doubled their lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Manwarren, who beat out an infield bunt single to begin the inning, scored the first on Hodgson's second RBI double of the game before Mrofcza brought in both Hodgson and AnnMarie Torres with a 2-run double of her own.
 
Meanwhile, Surface was in fine form mowing down 14 out of 15 Eagle hitters after her first-inning control issues.  After a Maverick error in the sixth, she then retired the final four while striking out the side in 1-2-3 fifth and seventh innings.  In total, she fanned 10 different Eagle hitters, including four who struck out twice.
 
Eagle pitcher Jessica Jarecki, the RMAC leader in strikeouts coming, also had a solid effort with seven but fell to 1-6 after allowing six hits and five earned runs while walking four.
 
Game 2
 
The Mavericks also used their speed in game two as Manwarren drew a lead-off walk before stealing second, advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a Hodgson 1-out RBI single.  Designated player Lexie Comer, getting just her second start of the season, then drove in Hodgson with a 2-out RBI single up the middle.
 
Manwarren then beat out a 2-out bunt single in the second and once again stole second before moving to third on another Eagle wild pitch.  She then scored when the Eagles' committed their first error of the game.
 
Leading 3-0 at the time, the Mavericks then went up 4-0 when Alexandria Dufour stole home on a delayed double-steal.
 
Meanwhile, Herring was faring just as well as Surface, retiring 10 of the first 11 Eagle hitters she faced, four by strikeout.  However, the Eagles would score their only run of the day on a Kayla Michel homer to right in the top of the fourth.
 
The Eagles, who were down just 4-1 at the point, also threatened in the fifth putting two runners on before Herring got out of the jam with her seventh strikeout on Eagle lead-off Kendyl Moody.
 
Grand Junction native and Eagle freshman Camryn Sanchez then led off the top of the sixth with a triple, her first career-hit, before being gunned down at the plate by Mrofcza on a Michel fielders' choice to shortstop.  Herring then recorded her final two strikeouts to close out the half-inning.
 
The Mavericks then were able to score seven runs in the bottom half of the sixth to implement the run-rule.  Five of those runs were unearned as an Eagle error helped extend the inning.  Dufour, who had a 1-out, 2-run double, and Kaila Jacobi, who blasted a walk-off 3-run homer to left were the biggest blows.
 
The homer was Jacobi's first of the season and 13th of her career.
 
Maverick redshirt freshman Sarah Staudle also delivered a pinch-hit single as part of the inning, her first career hit.
 
The Mavericks finished the second game with eight hits as Comer went 2-for-3.
 
Megan Horn suffered the loss for the Eagles, falling to 1-3.  Seven of her 11 runs allowed were unearned but she did give out seven walks.  Herring allowed just two as she threw 66 strikes in her 100 total pitches.
 
Throughout the day, Manwarren went 3-for-5 with two walks and five runs scored while Hodgson went 3-for-6 driving in runs on each of her hits.
 
The teams will square off in another doubleheader on Monday, starting at 11 a.m.