CARY, N.C. – The top-seeded Colorado Mesa Mavericks used a big second inning in an 11-4 win over New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Baseball Championships at the USA Baseball Training Facility.
 
The Mavericks (51-10) plated seven runs in the second inning to take the 7-0 lead in the game. Caleb Farmer led off the inning with a drag bunt single to third base followed by a single by Spencer Bramwell. Chase Hamilton reached on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
 
With the bases loaded and one out, Johnny Carr laced a RBI single to right field with Josh Shapiro backing him up with a two-run single to right field. Hunter Douglas scorched a double down the third base line just passed a diving Kieran Dowd that brought in two more runs.
 
Jordan Stubbings hit a sacrifice fly to right field after a walk to Dominic DeMarco. Farmer stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning and delivered a RBI double to left center field to give the Mavericks the 7-0 advantage.
 
In the inning, Colorado Mesa scored seven runs on six hits and stranded two runners.
 
NYIT (37-15) wouldn't go quietly as they answered with two runs in the top half of the third inning to make it 7-2.
 
Colorado Mesa would get the runs back in the bottom of the third on a Shapiro RBI double and came around to score later in the inning on a balk to go back ahead by seven runs at 9-2.
 
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Bramwell led off the inning with a single to left field. Chase Hamilton stepped to the plate and failed to get his bunt down. On the 10^th pitch of the at-bat, belted a 347-foot home run down the left field line that snuck just inside the foul pole. It was the first home run of the tournament and the sophomore's fifth of the season that gave the Mavericks the 11-4 edge.
 
Farmer finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, a run scored and a run driven in while Bramwell and Shapiro each had two hits.
 
The Bears would tally solo runs in the fourth and seventh innings and finished with eight hits on the night. Dowd paced the NYIT offense with a 3-for-4 performance with a double, his 23^rd stolen base of the season, a run scored and a run driven in.
 
The postseason continues to be kind to junior Trevin Reynolds as he took the ball in game one of the tournament. Reynolds (7-1) allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits, walked three and struck out three in his first championship appearance. The Las Vegas native sat 88-91 with his fastball and gutted through six innings of work.
 
Reynolds began to labor in the sixth inning and head coach Chris Hanks made a mound visit. The junior let everything he had left go on the last hitter he faced, second baseman Chris Campbell, as he struck him out with a 90-mph hour fastball.
 
Senior AJ Landis relieved him and pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the season. Landis allowed one run on three hits, walked three and struck out three in 51 pitches.
 
On his final pitch of the game, Landis induced a 6-4-3 double play by Nick Tedesco to end the game.
 
NYIT, making their first NCAA Division II Championships appearance, used six pitchers in the game with no one lasting more than an inning and two-thirds. DJ Masuck (12-2) took the loss after allowing seven runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two.
 
Colorado Mesa won its 51^st game of the season, setting a new single season program record, eclipsing the 2017 team that was the first to reach 50 wins.
 
The Mavericks will take on fifth-seeded Central Missouri on Monday evening at 7pm (ET) at Coleman Field. The Mules were 9-4 winners over fourth-seeded Ashland earlier in the day.