CHICO, Calif. – The No. 9 Colorado Mesa baseball team made a strong comeback that fell just short in a 7-4 loss to the host Chico State Wildcats in the series opener on Friday (Feb. 14) afternoon at Nettleton Stadium.
 
The Mavericks fell behind 6-1 after four innings of play but crept back into the game in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Preston Winget walked to force in a run followed by a Paul Schoenfeld single to right field that brought in another run to cut the Chico State lead to three at 6-3 with still just one out in the inning.
 
The Wildcats swapped pitchers, and the ensuing batter Joey Blank drew a six-pitch walk to force in another run to make it 6-4. Then, the Wildcats picked up a strikeout looking and a fly out to end the threat and stranding the bases loaded.
 
Colorado Mesa had other opportunities but couldn't scratch across any more runs as they stranded 11 runners on base.
 
Christos Stefanos finished the game 2-for-5 while teammate Declan Wiesner went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. Wiesner's double in the fourth inning drove in Cameron Cartwright for the Mavericks first run of the game.
 
Ethan Voss was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits, walked one and struck out one in his second start of the season. He turned it over to his bullpen who did a great job of keeping the Mavericks in the game.
 
Four pitchers combined to allow one unearned run on five hits and struck out two in four and a third innings pitched. They were also able to strand nine Chico baserunners who reached base while they were on the mound.
 
Colorado Mesa and Chico State will continue and conclude their three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at Noon.