GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The top-ranked Colorado Mesa baseball team used a 15-hit barrage that included eight extra base-hits in a 15-9 win over the St. Mary's Rattlers in the NCAA South Central Region Tournament at The Diamond at Hamilton Ballpark on Friday (May 15) evening.
The Mavericks scored in six of the eight innings they batted in and scored two or more runs in four of those innings.
Landon Nunes and
Kennedy Hara each finished the game with two home runs and a combined 10 RBI on the night.
Hara's first round tripper came in the bottom of the third inning and tied the game at 6-6. The Aiea, Hawaii native sent an 0-1 pitch over the wall in center field for his fourth home run of the season and he wasn't done there.
He hit his fifth home run of the season just two innings later as he sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center field to make the score 9-8 and gave his team a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Nunes hit his first of two home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo shot to straight away right field. His second of the night delivered a big blow to the Rattlers as it was a three-run home run that made the score 13-8 in favor of Colorado Mesa. All three runs on the big fly were unearned.
The Oakdale, Calif. native now has seven home runs on the season.
Redshirt junior
Jackson Lapiner continues to be a force in the lineup going 2-for-5 with three runs driven in. Lapiner had a two-run single in the first inning and wrapped up his performance with an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Justin Schramm picked up the win on the mound and moved his record to 4-0 on the season. The Bend, Ore. native allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out two in two and two-thirds innings of work.
Abe Ahlberg and
Sage Ferguson combined to pitch the final three innings of the game and allowed three hits, a walk and seven strikeouts.
Colorado Mesa improves their record to 51-5 on the season and moves within one game of the NCAA South Central Super Region Tournament.
The Mavericks and Rattlers will continue their best-of-three series tomorrow beginning at 3:00pm.
