GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – A 10-run, sixth inning led the No. 3 Colorado Mesa baseball team to a 16-0 mercy-rule shortened game on Friday (Mar. 27) evening at The Diamond at Hamilton Ballpark.
 
After a slow start to the game for both teams, the Mavericks opened the scoring with four runs in the fourth and followed up with two runs in the fifth inning. They put the game out of reach and into mercy-rule territory in the sixth with a 10-run inning.
 
Joey Blank belted a three-tun home run in the fourth inning to break the nil-nil tie. He sent a 1-0 pitch over the wall in left field to put Colorado Mesa up 3-0.
 
Kolby Felix added to the total later in the inning with an RBI single to left field that made it 4-0.
 
After the Mavericks scored two in the fifth inning, Ezra Farmer highlighted the Mavericks 10-run inning with a two-run home run to right field. Farmer hammered a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right field to make it 8-0 at the time.
 
Rocco DiFrancesco had a two-run single in the inning and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 12-0.
 
Reigning NCBWA Player of the Week Cameron Cartwright finished the game 4-for-5 with a double and three runs scored.
 
DiFrancesco went 2-for-4 with three runs driven in while Blank finished 1-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
 
The Mavericks provided starting pitcher Caleb Ruter with plenty of run support that he didn't need because he only allowed one hit in his start. Ruter pitched six shutout innings and allowed just the one hit while striking out six to move to 3-0. If there was a flaw to his start, it was that he walked three and hit two.
 
Justin Schramm pitched a scoreless seventh where he allowed one hit and struck out two.
 
Colorado Mesa moves its record to 27-3 on the season and have now won nine in a row.
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 1:00pm from The Diamond at Hamilton Ballpark.