GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The #9 Colorado Mesa baseball team fell behind early and battled back into the game, but their comeback attempt fell short in a 6-4 loss to #3 Rollins College on Saturday (Apr. 15) afternoon at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex.
 
The Tars plated three runs in the first inning before the Mavericks could even come to the plate. They scratched one across in the bottom of the third on a RBI single by Julian Boyd that plated Jonathan Gonzalez.
 
Rollins went on a three-run scoring streak into the seventh inning that made it 6-1 heading into the seventh inning stretch.
 
Colorado Mesa got two back in the bottom of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by Conrad Villafuerte and a throwing error by the Rollins catcher that brought home Declan Wiesner on a stolen base attempt to make it 6-3.
 
They got one more back in the eighth on a Stevenson Reynolds RBI single through the right side of the infield. But that was all the closer they would get as they had the tying run at the plate in the ninth but couldn't scratch across two runs.
 
Julian Boyd and Reynolds each finished with two hits to lead the Mavericks.
 
Lefty Kannon Handy was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits, walked four and struck out six in five innings of work.
 
Colorado Mesa had one pitcher make his first appearance of the year as they welcomed back to the staff Blake Rohm, the Maverick ace from a year ago. He allowed one run (none earned) on two hits in one inning of work.
 
Cade Nicol pitched the final three innings and allowed one run on three hits and struck out three.
 
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series on Sunday beginning at 12pm from The Diamond.