GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The top-ranked Colorado Mesa baseball team ran their winning streak to 18 games as they defeated the Lubbock Christian Chaps 6-3 on Thursday (May 18) evening at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex on the opening day of the NCAA South Central Region #2 Tournament.
Colorado Mesa scored first in the bottom of the second inning on a blast to right field off the bat of
Christos Stefanos. Stefanos sent the first pitch he saw just over the fence in straight away right field for his seventh round tripper of the year which gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
Lubbock Christian took their only lead of the game in the top half of the fourth inning. They scored on a bases loaded walk and another on an infield fielder's choice to take a 2-1 lead.
The Mavericks regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by
Harrison Rodgers that scored
Stevenson Reynolds while later in the inning
Declan Wiesner doubled down the left field line that brought around
Ethan Ezor to give the Mavericks a 3-2 lead after six innings.
Pinch hitter
Caleb Thomason delivered the big blow in the bottom of the seventh inning. The junior sent an 0-1 pitch up the middle that scored
Julian Boyd and
Conrad Villafuerte to put the Mavericks up 5-2.
The two teams traded runs in the eighth innings with the Chaps getting a home run from McCool and the Mavericks getting a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Robert Sharrar.
Jacob Rhoades took the ball in game one of the tournament and had one of his best outings in the last month. Rhoades allowed two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out seven in 117 pitches.
The Chaps had traffic on the bases in every inning, but Rhoades was able to wiggle out of each jam and picked up his first 1-2-3 inning in the top of the sixth inning and got another in his seventh and final inning of work.
Closer
Anthony Durbano came on to pitch the eighth and ninth innings to pick up his ninth save of the season. The senior allowed one run on two hits, walked one and struck out two.
Colorado Mesa will take on No. 23 St. Edward's in a defacto best-of-three series for the trip to the Super Region Tournament. The first game of the best-of-three is tomorrow night at 6:00pm at The Diamond. With the loss Lubbock Christian was eliminated from the tournament.
