GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— A first-inning home run by AnnMarie Torres and a fifth-inning grand slam from Zoe Pakes helped deliver junior pitcher McKenzie Surface's school-record setting 68^th career victory as the nation's top-ranked Colorado Mesa University Mavericks rebounded to claim a 10-3 win over visiting Colorado Christian University in the second game of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader clash between the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's top two squads.
 
The Mavericks dropped the first game 6-3 but rallied in the second to re-instate a 2-game lead over the Cougars at the top of the RMAC standings while putting themselves in position to clinch a third straight RMAC title as soon as Sunday when the two teams meet for another twin-bill starting at 11 a.m.
 
The Mavericks, who lost just their second game of the entire season earlier in the afternoon used two big innings scoring four runs in the first and five in the fifth to record the win, which moved CMU's record to 38-2 overall and to 28-2 in RMAC play.
 
The Cougars, receiving votes in the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) Division II poll that the Mavericks lead, are now 37-8 overall and 27-5 in the RMAC.
 
CMU can clinch the RMAC title and the right to host the May 3-5 RMAC Tournament with a doubleheader sweep on Sunday, which will be proceeded with Senior Day festivities.
 
Surface, a Colorado Springs native and Discovery Canyon High School product, allowed just four hits in her complete game victory, her 19^th in as many decisions this season.  In the process, she surpassed Melanie Meuchel's 1998-2001 career mark of 67 victories.
 
Meuchel is now the head coach at Division I Montana in her hometown of Missoula.
 
In the second game, the first four Mavericks to come to the plate recorded hits as Alexandria Dufour, laid down a perfectly placed RBI bunt single to plate lead-off hitter Maggie Manwarren, who hit a slap single before stealing second.  Brooke Hodgson, who had a 3-run homer in the first game as part of a 3-for-6, 5-RBI day, then scored Dufour with a single after a Cougar passed ball before Torres hit her 12^th homerun of the season to make the score 4-0.
 
The Cougars would get a run in the top of the second before Torres went on to draw a bases-loaded RBI walk in the bottom half of the inning to re-instate a 4-run cushion (5-1).
 
After an unassisted double play by Stephanie Day erased a lead-off triple by CMU's Kellie Mrofcza in the bottom of the third, the Cougars would hit their third home run of the day, a 2-run shot off the bat of Letty Valenzuela, in the top of the fourth to get within 5-3.
 
However, they would get no closer as the Mavericks scored five runs on the same number of hits in the bottom of the fifth.  Four of those came from Zoe Pakes, who hit CMU's second grand slam of the season, to left center.  It was the senior's ninth home run of the season and the 35^th of her collegiate career.
 
The Mavericks then ended both the sixth and seventh innings with double plays as Manwarren caught a line drive to center before throwing over to Torres at first to cap the victory.
 
Manwarren went 3-for-4 in the game as seven different Mavericks combined to record 12 hits, three of which were for extra bases. 
 
Kenzie Mattey took the loss for the Cougars allowing seven total hits and three walks while being charged with five runs in four total innings of work.  Sarah Probasco, who gave up the Torres homer in her 1/3 of inning, and Tana Feiner, who made just her second appearance of the season, also saw time in the circle for the Cougars, who used three pitchers in each game of the doubleheader and four in total.
 
In the first game, Probasco earned the save after striking out two Mavericks after coming on in the bottom of the seventh.  Mattey had held the lead for 1 2/3 innings of earlier work while Jennifer Romero (16-1) ended up earning the win for the Cougars after going 4 2/3 innings while spreading out seven hits and three runs in the game, which featured a pair of lead changes.
 
The Cougars scored two runs in the top of the first thanks to lead-off triple by Hanna Farmer followed by a sacrifice fly by Kendall Yasui and then an RBI double from Alyssa Hanks.
 
However, the Mavericks came roaring back to score three runs before a single out was recorded in the bottom half of the inning as Manwarren hit a double down the left field line before moving to third on a Dufour bunt single. 
 
Hodgson then hit her RMAC co-leading 14^th home run of the season to give the Mavericks the lead.
 
However, the Cougars would get three runs of their own in the third thanks a 1-out Yasui triple, a Charlotte Romero sacrifice fly and a 2-run homer from Hanks.
 
They then added an insurance run on a Charlotte Romero lead-off homer to begin the fifth and held on to the 6-3 win as the Mavericks left eight runners on base while taking advantage of most of their opportunities.
 
The Mavericks outhit the Cougars 9-8 in the game as Dufour went 3-for-4 to lead the way.  Abby Toller also went 2-for-3 in the game and 3-for-7 throughout the day.
 
Kimbri Herring (15-1) suffered her first loss of the campaign after giving up all eight hits while striking out seven.  Hodgson then struck out three in three perfect innings of relief after entering following Romero's home run in the fifth.