GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— AnnMarie Torres,
Kaila Jacobi and
Bailey Kleespies all hit home runs as the top-seeded Colorado Mesa University Mavericks took full advantage of ten free passes en-route to an 11-2, 5-inning mercy-rule victory over visiting Colorado State University-Pueblo in the opening round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament at the CMU Softball Stadium on Thursday evening.
The Mavericks scored runs in each of the five innings implementing the mercy-rule for the 22
nd time this season when Kleespies hit a pinch-hit walk-off 2-run shot after the ThunderWolves had temporaily stayed alive with a run in the top half of fifth to cut their deficit to 9-2.
Torres, receiving her RMAC Player of the Year plaque before the game, had also hit a 2-run shot as the Mavericks plated their first three hitters to take a 3-0 lead in the first. The blast was her 14
th of the season.
Meanwhile, Jacobi led off what ended up being a 3-run fourth inning with a solo home run, to take over the RMAC lead with 16 home runs on the campaign.
The Mavericks improved to 43-7 with the win and have now won six straight and 28 of their last 29 games. They have also won 11 straight over the ThunderWolves since 2016 and will next play against the Colorado School of Mines in a winner's bracket semifinal at 10:45 a.m. on Friday morning. Mines (27-19), the tournament's fourth-seed, outlasted MSU Denver 7-6 in a 3-hour-plus, 9-inning marathon earlier Thursday.
CMU and Mines split a 4-game regular season series in Denver in March.
CSU-Pueblo fell to 14-29 with Thursday's loss and faces an elimination game against MSU Denver (28-26) in the last of six games on Thursday night.
The Mavericks finished the game with 10 hits but also benefited from eight walks handed out by CSU-Pueblo's two pitchers — Hannah Anderson and Taylor Strupp.
Jordyn Hays was also hit by two different pitches.
CMU senior shortstop
Kellie Mrofcza went 3-for-3 and hit her team-leading 19
th double of the season, CMU's 100
th as a team, in the top of the first to plate lead-off hitter
Brooke Doumer, who walked three times.
Torres then tripled the Mavericks' early lead with her bomb to left.
The Mavericks also scored two more runs in the second inning when Torres registered her third RBI of the game and RMAC-leading 67
th of the season on an infield single before
Alexa Samuels added another run-scoring single after a walk to Jacobi.
Meanwhile, Maverick senior pitcher
Kimbri Herring, who received her RMAC Pitcher of the Year Award before the game, was in control inside the circle, retiring seven straight ThunderWolf hitters before an error and Gabby Moreno RBI double led to a CSU-Pueblo unearned run, which made the score 5-1 after 2 ½ innings.
However, the Mavericks bounced right back in the bottom of the third as Mrofcza hit a 1-out single through the left side to plate
Sarah Staudle, who had led off the inning with a walk.
In the fourth after Jacobi's lead-off homer, the Mavericks took advantage of a CSU-Pueblo error to score two more runs, which made the score 9-1.
CSU-Pueblo then plated a run in the top of the fifth with four singles, including a RBI knock from Melissa Torrez.
However, Mrofcza singled to begin the top of the fifth and moved to second on a wild pitch, which freed up first base for Torres, who drew a walk.
After the ThunderWolves recorded their third defensive double play, Kleespies came on for Samuels and hit a 0-1 pitch down the left field line to wrap up the win.
Herring (20-3) moved into a tie for the RMAC lead as she picked up her 20
th win of the campaign. She struck out five ThunderWolves and gave up seven hits and just one earned run.
Anderson (3-5) was charged with the loss after surrendering four runs in an inning plus of work and was relieved quickly by Strupp, who went 3 2/3 innings while surrendering six hits, five earned runs and six walks.
Torres finished the game 2-for-3 as 10 different Mavericks scored while seven different Mavericks recorded a hit.
Moreno and Marissa Piatt each went 2-for-3 to lead the ThunderWolves.
