After a slow start, the Colorado Mesa University bats came alive during the last three innings with an important 8-7 win over Nova Southwestern to start the 2020 season.
“I thought our guys competed hard, though we were running a little rich tonight, but I thought we out competed them at the end,” CMU Head Coach Chris Hanks said. “For the first game we are pleased to win but there are things we can clean up.”
Look no further then catcher Spencer Bramwell to open this one up for the Mavericks and solidify the win. With Harrison Rodgers pinch running for the designated hitter Haydn McGeary, who hit into a fielder’s choice on first, Bramwell then found the pitch he was looking for all night and hit it over the left center fence for the first Maverick home run of the season.
“Last at bat I went up there knowing I needed to get a pitch that I could drive. I had been patient early in the count with the at bats leading up to that so my plan going in was to get my pitch early and thankfully I got just enough of it for it to get out.” Bramwell said.
In the beginning , it looked like it was going in the favor of Nova Southeastern as the Sharks’ batters jumped on Andrew Morris early. The Maverick bats could not line up with pitchers JP Williams and Jeremy Cook combining to strike out nine Mavericks through the first six frames.
Solution? A couple of sophomore pitchers. Starting pitcher Morris delivered a good first start to his second season as a Maverick with eight strikeouts but did allow four runs over four innings. Josh Dayliw was on the mound for the rest of the game coming in from the bullpen. Danyliw threw five solid innings of baseball with only allowing two runs and striking out five.
“We got an outstanding performance from Josh Danyliw outta the bullpen. Andrew Morris kept us in the game which is what we ask the starting pitchers to do. Danyliw was just really good.” Hanks said.
The seventh inning is where the Mavericks got the momentum they had been looking for throughout the majority of the game. Maverick powerhitters Caleb Farmer and Jordan Stubbings hit a pair of singles to right field. Farmer’s single down the right field line allowed Blaine Demello to score off of a double he would hit the other way two batter prior.
Combined Farmer and Stubbings went 4 for 9 with one run and three runs batted in.
After Johnny Carr and Tyler Parker were both hit by pitches (HBP) in the eigth. Tanner Garner laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to move them over and it paid off. With the bases loaded the Mavericks yet again saw another HBP thrown at Demello and the Mavericks were at a tied ball game.
“That was just huge, that was just a sacrifice bunt that turned into a hit.” Hanks said.
The Mavericks look ahead now to tomorrow’s game with a possible series win on the line to open up the 2020 regular season. Tomorrow’s game two of the four game series against Nova Southeastern is at 4 p.m. MWT.
