GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 11 Colorado Mesa Mavericks split a Friday (Feb. 16) afternoon doubleheader against the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex.
In the opener, the Yellowjackets plated five runs in the first and never looked back as they scored two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings consecutively en route to a 13-9 win over Colorado Mesa.
The Mavericks made it close in the fifth as they hit back-to-back home runs. First baseman
Max Berni hammered his first collegiate home run in the fifth inning. He sent a 1-0 pitch over the parking lot fence in left field for a three-run shot.
One batter later, pinch-hitter
Ethan Ezor hit a solo home run into the bullpen in left field. The two home runs cut the Yellowjacket lead to 11-8 after five complete.
The Mavericks would get it to 11-9 after an RBI double by
Braden Winget. That would be all the closer they would get.
Berni finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four runs driven in.
Jonathan Gonzalez, Winget,
Declan Wiesner, and
Derek Shaver all finished with multiple hits.
David Craig was saddled with the loss to fall to 0-1.
In the seven-inning nightcap,
Rocco DiFrancesco's RBI double in the bottom of the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Mavericks a 4-3 win and a split on the day.
MSU Billings took the early 2-0 lead after four innings of action.
Colorado Mesa took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Freshman
Joey Blank delivered an RBI single to center field for the Mavericks first run then later in the inning Rob Sharrar laced a two-run single to left field that scored Blank and pinch-runner
Brady Webb for the 3-2 lead.
The Yellowjackets knotted the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning.
With one-out in the bottom of the sixth inning,
Max Berni singled up the middle and moved up to second base on a groundout by
Tyler Glowacki. That brought to the plate DiFrancesco who doubled to right center on the first pitch he saw from starter Jackson Betancourt.
Both starters were outstanding in the game. Betancourt went the complete game and allowed four runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out four in 93 pitches while taking the loss.
Cole Seward took the ball in game two and was solid. He allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits, walked none, and struck out six in five and a third innings of work. He didn't factor into the decision as he gave way to his bullpen with the game tied.
JJ Almeda pitched the final inning and two-thirds of perfect relief to pick up his first win of the season.
The two teams will conclude the series tomorrow with a single nine-inning game beginning at Noon from The Diamond.
