DENVER, Colo. – The No. 7 Colorado Mesa baseball team outlasted the home team MSU Denver Roadrunners in a 9-8 win between Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference heavyweights on Friday (Apr. 8) evening at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
The Mavericks struck first in the top half of the first inning as Harrison Rodger scored on a wild pitch, but the lead would be short lived. The Roadrunners scored twice in the bottom half of the inning for a 2-1 lead after one inning.
 
The Roadrunners would tack on two runs in the fourth inning for a 4-1 lead.
 
Haydn McGeary then got to work as he hit the first of his two home runs in the top of the fifth inning. The junior lifted a 2-0 pitch over the fence in left field for his 15^th home run of the season and made the score 4-3.
 
Just one inning later, Rodgers singled to right field that plated two runs to put the Mavericks back on top 5-4. Two batters later, McGeary blasted a two-run home run to what is believed to be dead center field to give the Mavericks a 7-4 advantage. The Glendale, Ariz. native's 16^th home run left the yard and nobody on the field moved other than to watch to see where it landed.
 
MSU Denver clawed back into the game to even the contest at 7-7 after the seventh inning. Roadrunner slugger Bill Ralston hit his 16^th home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ralston and McGeary are tied for the RMAC lead and are among the national leaders in round trippers.
 
The Mavericks would go ahead for good in the top of the eighth inning. Rodgers wasn't done yet at the plate as he doubled to left field to score Chase Hamilton that was followed by a bases loaded fielder's choice to make it 9-7.
 
The Roadrunners plated one in the bottom of the eighth, but it was all the closer they would get.
 
Rodgers finished the day 3-for-4 with four runs scored and three runs driven in and the eighth inning double.
 
McGeary finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four runs driven in including the two big flys. He also walked and was intentionally walked in the eighth inning as the Mavericks had an open base at first.
 
Jordan Stubbings and Hamilton each finished with two hits.
 
Colorado Mesa trotted out Kannon Handy to start the game and after a shaky first inning, Handy settled in and pitched well enough to win in the hitter friendly ballpark. He didn't wind up factoring into the decision in his five plus innings of work.
 
Dave Henderson followed Handy on the mound and helped the Mavericks get out of a mess and worked two innings before giving way to Gage Edwards. Henderson earned the win in relief and moved his record to 3-1 on the year.
 
Righty Gage Edwards recorded the final four outs of the game as he surrendered two hits, walked one and struck out one to earn his second save of the season. Edwards was able to induce former Maverick Tanner Garner to pop up to second base to end the game with two runners left on base.
 
The two teams will continue the series tomorrow with a day night doubleheader beginning at 3pm from the Assembly Athletic Complex.