GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 1 Colorado Mesa baseball team moved onto Championship Saturday after defeating both of their opponents in the NCAA South Central Region I Tournament on Friday afternoon.
 
Colorado Mesa used a big fifth inning to eliminate West Texas A&M 13-10 in the opening game of the tournament on Friday afternoon at Suplizio Field.
 
The Mavericks fell behind 4-1 after the first inning and trailed by as many as four at 7-3 heading into the top of the fifth inning.
 
That was when the Mavericks exploded for 10 runs in the inning, chasing South Central Region Pitcher of the Year Joe Corbett who had his shortest start of the year in the game. Dominic DeMarco hit a three-run home run to right field to start the rally. Five batters later Haydn McGeary hit a two-run double to give the Mavericks the 9-7 lead that they wouldn't give back.
 
When the dust settled in the inning, the Mavericks scored 10 runs on 10 hits and left two runners on base.
 
Six Mavericks finished the game with multiple hits with Hunter Douglas leading the charge. Douglas went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and three runs driven in.
 
Haydn McGeary `also came up big, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and three runs driven in. The freshman hit his 10^th home run of the season in the top of the second inning.
 
Corbett (12-1), the West Texas A&M starter, allowed 11 runs on 11 hits, walked two and struck out five in four and a third innings of work. The senior entered the game with a 12-0 mark and had only given up 14 earned runs on the season.
 
Senior JR McDermott pitched for the first time since the MSU Denver series on the road and was outstanding. The senior allowed three runs on five hits, walked one and struck out seven in four and two-thirds of relief work.
 
The Aurora native earned the win and became the Mavericks all-time leader in wins with 25 eclipsing the mark of 24 set by Kyle Davis from 2010-2014.
 
Senior Will Dixon came in and pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13^th save of the season.
 
In the night cap, the Mavericks used a similar tactic to defeat Colorado School of Mines 6-3 for the sixth win of the season over the Orediggers.
 
Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Colorado Mesa plated four runs on five hits and left two stranded. All four runs crossed with two outs in the inning.
 
Caleb Farmer tied the game with a RBI single through the left side of the infield that scored Josh Shapiro. Just a batter later, Spencer Bramwell hit the go-ahead two run single to center field to give Colorado Mesa the 5-3 lead.
 
McGeary later singled to Bramwell giving the Mavericks an insurance run at 6-3.
 
Freshman Andrew Morris earned the win on the mound after pitching seven strong innings. Morris (6-1) allowed just three runs on six hits, walked three and struck out seven in 108 pitches.
 
The Boulder native's best inning may have been his last. Oredigger Mikey Gangwish led off the inning with a double but Morris was able to retire the side with three straight strikeouts.
 
Dixon earned his second save of the day and 14^th of the season by pitching a perfect ninth inning.
 
Colorado Mesa is now 47-9 on the season and is just one win away from winning the South Central Region I Tournament.
 
Mines and Colorado Mesa will play tomorrow beginning at Noon.