SAN ANGELO, Texas – The South Central Super Region heavyweight slugfest started on Friday (May 27) evening at Foster Field with the No. 10 Colorado Mesa Mavericks landing a 12-8 win over the No. 5 Angelo State Rams in game one of the NCAA Super Regional.
 
Angelo State (48-12) came out swinging early as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first as the first three batters reached followed by an RBI groundout and a two-run double.
 
The Mavericks (43-15) got two runs back in the top half of the second inning as Conrad Villafuerte hit a one out double followed by an RBI triple by Chase Hamilton. The senior ripped a pitch into the right center field gap that was just out of reach by the right fielder. Two batters later, Harrison Rodgers reached on an infield single with two outs that plated Hamilton from third.
 
Rodgers gave the Mavericks their first lead of the night in the top of the fourth inning. The sophomore lined a two-run single to right center that plated Hamilton and Villafuerte giving them a 4-3 lead.
 
The Rams retook the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning on a Tripp Clark two-run homer giving them a 5-4 lead.
 
Haydn McGeary got in on the action with his 32^nd home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning. The junior smashed a 1-0 pitch to center field to tie the game at 5-5 and it remained that way until the seventh inning where McGeary struck again.
 
Matt Turner led off the inning with a triple to deep left center field and later scored on a balk as the go-ahead run.
 
Just a pitch later, McGeary launched his second home run of the game, a mammoth solo shot to left field to give the Mavericks a 7-5 lead after seven complete.
 
The home run was a special one. His 33^rd of the home run of the season was his 73^rd career home run that ties the NCAA Division II Career Home Run mark set by Bryan Fogle of Erskine from 2007-2010 and in 223 total games. McGeary has reached that mark in 161 total games.
 
Angelo State retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-run home run by Justin Lee and an RBI single by Thomas Cain made it 8-7.
 
Colorado Mesa started a stampede in the ninth inning that all began with a leadoff walk by Johnny Carr. Matthew Turner followed with a bunt single with Caleb Farmer lacing a hot shot through the hole on the left side to load the bases for you know who.
 
With no where to put Haydn McGeary, he made the Rams pay with the go-ahead two-run single up the middle to give the Mavericks a 9-8 lead.
 
They wouldn't stop there as Chase Hamilton hammered his second triple of the game to straight away center field that scored both McGeary and Farmer. One batter later, Jordan Stubbings smoked a double to right center to plate Hamilton and give the Mavericks the 12-8 advantage.
 
Five Mavericks finished with a multi-hit game.
 
McGeary finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four runs driven in while Hamilton went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three runs driven in that included those two triples.
 
Conrad Villafuerte went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Rodgers went 3-for-5 with three runs driven in.
 
Sophomore lefty Kannon Handy earned the start on the mound but didn't factor into the decision. Handy allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and only struck out one in five complete innings of work.
 
Cole Seward earned the win in relief throwing the final inning and two-thirds and allowing just two walks and no hits to improve to 2-1 on the season.
 
Tomorrow's game two is slated to begin at 2pm mountain time from Foster Field.