GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa scored 31 runs and pounded out 22 hits in a 31-0 win over the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys on Monday (Mar. 10) afternoon in the series finale at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex.
The Mavericks scored in every inning they batted including a pair of seven-run innings (second and seventh) and a nine-run inning (sixth).
Seven different players recorded multi-hit games but one maybe stood out a little more than the others.
Freshman
Noah Neufeld earned his first start behind the plate for the Mavericks, and he may have shown a little glimpse of what's to come for him the next few years. The Laguna Beach, Calif. native's first collegiate hit was a home run which came in the second inning on a 1-0 pitch that he sent over the fence in left field to make the score 9-0 at the time.
Neufeld finished the game 3-for-7 with two runs scored and four runs driven in.
Christos Stefanos finished the game 2-for-2 with five runs driven in. Stefanos delivered one of the biggest blows in the game with a grand slam in the top of the second inning which made it 7-0 at the time.
Josh Romans finished with a big game after replacing
Joey Blank. He finished the game 3-for-3 with four runs scored and four runs driven in including his first home run as a Maverick. The senior sent a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left center field for a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.
Just four of the Mavericks 22 hits went for extra bases and all four were home runs.
Kolby Felix was the other Maverick to homer in the game before he was lifted in the top of the fifth inning.
Maverick pitching was once again dominated the Cowboy hitters as five pitchers combined on the three-hit shutout. They combined to allow three hits and struck out eight without surrendering a walk or a hit batter.
Jordan Pace got the start and allowed one hit and struck out four in three innings pitched. He gave way to
David Craig who earned the win by throwing a scoreless fourth inning and move his record to 1-1 on the season.
Sage Ferguson made his debut for the Mavericks and struck out two in his inning of work.
Colorado Mesa is now 11-7 on the season and 4-0 in RMAC play with two more home series on deck. They will take on the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves next weekend at The Diamond with first pitch set for Friday at 6:05pm.
