GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 12 Colorado Mesa baseball team earned a win in the home opener as they defeated Montana State Billings 5-4 on Friday afternoon at Suplizio Field as a part of Leadoff Weekend.
The Mavericks got on the board in the second inning on a RBI walk by
Josh Shapiro that forced in
Dominic DeMarco to make it 1-0.
Montana State Billings evened the game at 1-1 in the fifth inning before the Mavericks went ahead again in the sixth inning. DeMarco belted his first homer of the season, a no-doubter to right field to make it 2-1.
The Yellowjackets took the lead in the top half of the seventh after a home run by Matt Dillon and the go-ahead sacrifice fly by Andrew Schleusner, giving MSU Billings a 3-2 advantage.
The lead was short lived as Colorado Mesa added three in the bottom of the seventh.
Jordan Stubbings scored on a throwing error by the Yellowjacket first baseman after he threw it off DeMarco after he reached first base.
Two batters later,
Tyler Sandoval laced a 2-run single to left field to bring in DeMarco and
Johnny Carr from second base to make it 5-3.
Colorado Mesa got a scare in the ninth inning but the Yellowjackets could only muster one run in the ninth and
Frankie Fitzgerald earned his first save of the season.
DeMarco was the lone Maverick that had success at the plate as he finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and the big homer in the sixth inning.
The Mavericks struck out 15 times which is the most in program history since at least the 2002 season. Yellowjacket starter Jarrod Molnaa struck out nine Mavericks in his five innings of work and didn't factor into the decision.
JR McDermott started for the second straight week and backed up last week's performance that earned him RMAC Pitcher of the Week accolades. The Aurora native allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters in 72 pitches but didn't factor into the decision.
Senior lefty
Jett Wodiuk picked up the win in relief for Colorado Mesa. Wodiuk (1-0) allowed four hits in two innings of work in his third appearance of the season to earn the win.
Colorado Mesa moves their record to 4-1 on the season while MSU Billings falls to 0-1 after their season opener. The Yellowjackets had their season opening weekend postponed until today after heavy snow blanketed the Denver area and their series with Colorado School of Mines was wiped out last weekend.
The Mavericks and Yellowjackets will play a doubleheader tomorrow at noon. The first game is scheduled for nine innings with the second game scheduled for seven innings.
