GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa baseball continued their offensive barrage in a doubleheader sweep of the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers on Sunday (Mar. 19) afternoon, winning by scores of 19-3 and 5-3 at Darden Field in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
 
In the first game of the day, the Mavericks (15-7, 6-1 RMAC) scored 19 runs on 17 hits and scored in five of the seven innings during a 19-3 win for Colorado Mesa.
 
Harrison Rodgers led the output as he finished 4-for-6 with three runs scored and three runs driven in with a double and his sixth home run of the season. The junior's home run came in the top of the seventh when he sent the first pitch he saw deep over the fence in right field.
 
Caleb Thomason, Conrad Villafuerte and Jonathan Gonzalez each had multi-hit games for the Mavericks.
 
Kennedy Hara hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning, a two-run shot on a 1-0 pitch to left field.
 
Christos Stefanos had the stat line of the day as he went 1-for-1 in five plate appearances. He finished with a double, two runs scored, two runs driven in, two sacrifice flies, and two hit by pitches.
 
With the huge offensive output, the pitching staff also put-up great numbers as three pitchers combined to allow three runs on four hits, walked four and struck out 16.
 
Lefty Kannon Handy moved his record to 3-0 on the season after receiving excellent run support. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked four and struck out nine in four innings of work. Nine of Handy's 12 outs he was on the mound for were recorded by a strikeout.
 
He handed the ball over to Jared Ure for the next two innings and the junior had his best appearance of the season. The Eaton native pitched two hitless innings and struck out four in the process.
 
Ure handed the ball off to redshirt freshman Brenden Morris who made his collegiate debut on Sunday. Morris pitched a perfect seventh as he struck out all three batters he faced.
 
In the nightcap, Colorado Mesa prevailed in the closest game of the weekend thus far as they came away with a 5-3 win against Mines' bet pitcher statistically, Kevin Zapanta.
 
Colorado Mesa scored their first run in the first inning the unconventional way. Harrison Rodgers led off and advanced to first on a wild pitch on strike three. He stole second and then stole third before scoring on a passed ball during Max Valdez' at-bat.
 
The Orediggers took the lead 3-1 after two innings of play but Colorado Mesa answered back as Rob Sharrar blistered the first pitch he saw over the fence in right field for a two-run homer and a tie score.
 
Caleb Thomasen delivered the go-ahead run as he doubled to the gap in left center field that scored Stevenson Reynolds for a 4-3 lead after four innings.
 
Reynolds went on to add some insurance for the Mavericks in the sixth inning as he scored on a wild pitch.
 
Jacob Rhoades got the start for the Mavericks on the mound and didn't have his best stuff but kept the Mavericks in the game. He gave way to his bullpen after just two innings of work.
 
David Craig came in and had one of his best outing as a Maverick as he pitched three scoreless innings allowing just one hit and striking out two on 38 pitches.
 
Eventually, the ball got handed over to closer Anthony Durbano and he was able to record the final four outs of the game for his fourth save of the season.
 
The two teams will play the final game of the series on Monday beginning at Noon from Darden Field.