GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 2 ranked Colorado Mesa baseball team had a tough time mustering anything in a 18-6 loss to the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks in the season and home opener on Thursday afternoon at Suplizio Field as a part of the Courtyard by Marriott Leadoff Weekend.
 
The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak in season openers and is the worst home loss for the Mavericks since a 17-3 loss to No. 25 Cal Baptist on February 19, 2015 in Grand Junction.
 
After falling behind 7-0 after five innings, Colorado Mesa got on the board after Haydn McGeary reached on a fielding error by the shortstop that plated Tanner Garner to make it 7-1.
 
The Mavericks kept digging themselves into a deeper hole but showed serious signs of life in the bottom half of the eighth inning. Nolan Walker earned a RBI after a bases loaded hit by pitch scored Garner followed by a grand slam by Spencer Bramwell, giving the Mavericks their first home run of the season and cut the Nighthawk lead to 16-6.
 
But that was the closest they would come as Northwest Nazarene scored twice more in the ninth.
 
Garner was the lone Mavericks with multiple hits as he finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Nighthawk starting pitcher Kyle Ethridge earned the win and kept the Mavericks off balance all game. He went 6.1 innings and allowed one run on six hits, walked one and struck out three.
 
COVID freshman Jared Ure was tagged with the loss after going four innings and allowing four runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out six.
 
The Nighthawks belted four home runs in the game and had their top two batters in the order combine for eight hits.
 
Colorado Mesa will be back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader against MSU Billings beginning at Noon at Suplizio Field.