GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa baseball team swept a doubleheader from the Regis Rangers on Saturday (Apr. 18) at The Diamond at Hamilton Ballpark. The Mavericks improved their record to 41-3 on the season and remained unbeaten in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 27-0.
In the first game of the day, the Mavericks fell behind 2-1 before scoring eight unanswered runs in a 9-2 win over the Rangers.
The Mavericks took a 1-0 lead after a sacrifice fly from
Ezra Farmer in the bottom of the third inning. The next half inning Regis responded with two runs to take their first lead of the series at 2-1 after three and half innings.
With two on and two out in the fourth inning, Regis changed pitchers with
Tate Blasi coming to the plate. The first pitch he saw from the new pitcher, he sent over the wall in left center field for a three-run home run and the lead that they wouldn't give up after.
Colorado Mesa picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from
Joey Blank. Later in the inning, the Mavericks picked up a ton of insurance.
With the bases loaded,
Kolby Felix crushed a grand slam to left field to make the score 9-2.
Felix finished the game 1-for-2 with a run scored and four runs driven in while Blasi went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three runs driven in.
Starter
Rafael Espinoza picked up the win after going four innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out two. Espinoza improved his record to 4-0 on the season.
Three relievers combined to pitch the final three innings and allowed two hits and struck out three.
In the night cap, Colorado Mesa had three pitchers that combined on a five-hit shutout in a 4-0 win over the Rangers.
Freshman
Jackson Eisenhauer pitched the initial four innings and scattered four hits, walked one and struck out five. He only needed to throw 56 pitches to improve his season record to 7-1 on the season.
Liam Hohenstein and
Sage Ferguson combined to pitch the final three innings and they allowed one hit, walked one and struck out four.
Felix finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three runs driven in. He hit his second home run of the day in game two and now has 14 on the season.
Colorado Mesa extended their winning streak to 23 games.
The two teams will close out the series on Sunday with a single nine-inning game beginning at Noon. Colorado Mesa will recognize their seniors prior to the start of the game.
