GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 9 Colorado Mesa baseball team moved its win streak to 12 games after sweeping both halves of a doubleheader from the visiting Augustana Vikings on Friday (Feb. 27) afternoon at The Diamond at Hamilton Ballpark.
Colorado Mesa scored five runs in the first, five runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, five in the sixth and two in the eighth on their way to a lopsided 18-6 win over the Vikings in game one of the doubleheader.
After the Vikings scored one in the first inning,
Kolby Felix knotted it at 1-1 one batter into the bottom of the first with his team-leading fourth home run of the season. Felix sent the second pitch he saw over the fence in left field.
Ezra Farmer made it 9-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a no doubt home run to right field. Farmer hammered a 2-1 pitch that one hopped the softball field in right field for a three-run homer.
Senior
Kennedy Hara made it 15-3 in the bottom of the sixth after he hit a two-run home run right down the foul line in left field.
A batter later,
Jackson Lapiner hit a pinch-hit solo home run to right center field for a 16-3 advantage.
Trevor Tse and
Joey Blank each had three hit games for the Mavericks. Blank went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four runs driven in.
Aidan Biaggi earned the win in relief of
Caleb Ruter to move his record to 4-0 on the season. Biaggi allowed three runs on five hits and struck out one in two and a third innings pitched.
Gabe Jacobs pitched a scoreless eighth inning while striking out two as the top reliever of the four that entered the game.
In the night cap, Colorado Mesa had to come-from-behind for the third straight game as they spotted Augustana a top of the first lead for the third straight game only this time the fell behind 5-1 after.
The Mavericks clawed their way back into it and came away with a 6-5 win in game three of the series.
After falling behind 5-1, the Mavericks scored three in the fourth as the Viking pitchers spotted the Mavericks a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch that scored a run in the inning. Those paired with a
Rocco DiFrancesco bases loaded double play made the score 5-4 after four innings.
Colorado Mesa tied it in the sixth inning on an RBI single by
Cameron Cartwright and later in the inning, a bases loaded hit by pitch to DiFrancesco gave the Mavericks the 6-5 lead.
Cayden Clark pitched a scoreless inning and a third to pick up his third win of the season. Clark allowed just a hit, walked one and struck out one before giving way to closer
Sage Ferguson.
The senior earned the five-out save by pitching the final inning and two-thirds for his second save of the season. Ferguson got a line out and two strikeouts in the seventh to secure the win for the Mavericks.
Landon Nunes finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double that got things going in the Mavericks fourth inning.
"Knowing that you have all the guys pull from the same rope in the dugout means a lot," Nunes said. "Having them cheering for you no matter what means a lot."
The two teams will conclude the series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 1:00pm from The Diamond.
