GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 15 Colorado Mesa baseball team swept a doubleheader from the No. 38 Azusa Pacific Cougars on Friday (Feb. 10) afternoon at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex in non-conference action. The doubleheader sweep gave the Mavericks wins in the first three games of the series.
In game one of the day, the Mavericks belted four home runs and had 23 total hits in a 20-15 win over No. 38 Azusa Pacific.
Colorado Mesa plated six in the first inning but gave five of those right back in the top half of the second inning. They were able to regain the advantage in the bottom half of the inning by having three runs come across in the frame.
The big blow came late as the Mavericks scored nine runs combined in the seventh and eighth innings to take the 20-11 lead into the ninth. The Cougars plated four but that would be all the closer they would come.
Julian Boyd and
Conrad Villafuerte each finished with four hits in the game while
Max Valdez and
Ethan Ezor each had three hits.
Harrison Rodgers, Boyd, Villafuerte and Ezor each had home runs in the game. For Ezor it was his first collegiate home run and led off the six run seventh inning for the Mavericks.
David Craig earned the win in relief as the fourth and final pitcher of the day. Craig allowed four runs on two hits, walked five and struck out three. Craig helped previous pitcher
David Reckers get out of a jam in the top of the seventh as he retired Will Stroud with a runner on base.
Redshirt junior
Jared Ure got the start in game two and went two and two-thirds before giving way to his bullpen.
In the seven-inning night cap, Colorado Mesa got solid pitching from two of their young bucks and got timely hitting in a 13-3 win over the Cougars to close out the day.
Cole Seward got the start on the mound and went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out four to earn the win. For the sophomore, it was the longest outing of his young career, and he didn't allow a walk in doing so.
Seward gave way to freshman
Liam Hohenstein in the sixth and there was no letdown from the youngster. Hohenstein pitched the final two innings and didn't allow a hit while striking out four.
Villafuerte continued his torrid start to the season with another multi hit game and was the lone Maverick in the lineup with multiple hits. He belted his second home run of the season in the first inning, a two-run shot that plated Rodgers in the process.
Declan Wiesner got the start behind the plate and was solid both offensively and defensively. Wiesner cut down two would be base stealers while picking up his first hit as a Maverick. It wasn't just any hit, but a grand slam to right center field that gave Colorado Mesa a 9-3 advantage at the time.
Colorado Mesa will be going for the season and series sweep of the Cougars with a single nine-inning game beginning at 11am tomorrow from The Diamond. The Mavericks swept the Cougars last season in California to open the year.
