CMU extends RMAC lead

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The Colorado Mesa University baseball team opened up a four game series Thursday afternoon against the second place Regis Rangers.

The Mavericks offense hit three home runs en route to a 10-3 win to extend their win streak to 14 games.

PJ Gonzalez lead the game off with a double. JJ Carr singled by way of a bunt and a throwing error allowed Gonzalez to score and Carr to move to second. Bligh Madris doubled a batter later to extend the first inning lead to 2-0.

Kyle Leahy was once again spectacular as he took to the mound for the Mavericks. Leahy improved to 8-0 on the year as he went 7 innings with four hits allowed and four strikeouts. Both runs surrendered by Leahy were of the unearned variety.

Andrew Contreras added to the lead with an RBI single in the 3rd inning.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Rangers tallied their first run on a series of errors that allowed Garrett Skillings to come in and score on a groundout to Contreras.

Another error in the 6th inning set the Rangers up with their second run of the game. A sacrifice fly from Ryan Tierney scored Skillings for the second time cutting the Mavericks lead to 3-2.

Garrett Ball lead off the 8th inning with a home run and set off a chain reaction for the Mavericks offense. Will Dixon singled and advanced to second on a throwing error. Two batters later, Tanner Nieslanik doubled home Dixon increasing the lead to 5-2. Gonzalez reached on an error by the shortstop Logan Heflebower extending the inning. Carr capped the inning off with a three-run home run that pushed the Mavericks lead to 8-2. Dixon added the last home run of the day in the top of the 9th inning as he hit a two run shot to left field.

The Rangers added another run in the bottom of the 9th to bring the game to a 10-3 final.

Noah Gotsis took the loss (5-2) for the Rangers as he went 7.2 innings while surrendering nine hits and six runs (four earned). Gotsis fanned seven Mavericks and was pulled after Carr’s home run.

Chris Ramirez took the mound for the Mavericks in a game two win, 10-5, on Friday.

Ramirez allowed his only three hits of the game in the 1st inning, including a two run shot to the Rangers’ Josh Newell to give Regis a quick 2-0 lead.

The Mavericks quickly responded as they tallied six runs on seven hits in the top of the 2nd inning. Matt Haggerty drilled a three run homerun to left field driving in Will Dixon and Zach McLeod. Two batters later, JJ Carr hit a two run homerun to increase the lead to 5-2. Bligh Madris singled home Kyle Serrano to add the sixth run of the inning.

The Mavericks would add two more in the 4th inning and one more in the 5th inning to increase the lead to 9-2.

Ramirez retired nine Rangers in a row after the 1st inning before walking the first batter in the 5th inning. After two more walks, and loading the bases, Ramirez was pulled for AJ Landis.

Landis limited the damage as only one runner scored via a sacrifice fly.

Landis would finish the game going 2.2 innings pitched with two earned runs on two hits. Ramirez received his fifth win of the season improving to 5-1.

The second game of the doubleheader was taken by the Mavericks by a score of 10-4.

JR McDermott improved to 5-0 on the year after going a complete game (7.0 innings) while surrendering four earned runs on eight hits. McDermott struck out five and only needed 79 pitches to get 21 outs.

The Mavericks struck quickly in the 1st inning after Garrett Ball walked with the bases loaded and drove in JJ Carr.

Matt Haggerty hit his second home run of the series in the top of the 2nd inning to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead.

The Rangers were able to get on the board in the 4th inning. After a leadoff single from Josh Newell, Andrew Bryniarski hit a two run home run to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Mavericks would get three runs in the 5th inning on a Garrett Ball RBI single that drove in Kyle Serrano. Lane LaCrone reached on a throwing error that allowed Bligh Madris to score and increase the lead to 5-2. Zach McLeod flew out to left and drove in Ball pushing the lead to 6-2.

PJ Gonzalez lead the 6th inning off with a single. JJ Carr reached on a fielder’s choice while attempting to move Gonzalez to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kyle Serrano laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both Gonzalez and Carr up 90 feet. Bligh Madris singled to left scoring both Gonzalez and Carr. The Mavericks lead 8-2 after six innings of play.

Andrew Bryniarksi hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the 6th inning, another two run shot, that brought the Rangers within four. Those would be the only runs of the game that McDermott surrendered.

The Mavericks would add two more runs in the 7th for the final score of 10-4.

Jake Mielock took to the mound for the series finale on Saturday. Mielock improved to 2-1 on the year while pitching 5.1 innings only surrendering two hits and striking out three batters.

Mielock was relieved by Jett Wodiuk after walking his sixth batter and giving up his second hit. Wodiuk went 1.2 innings before giving way to Tyler Day who finished the last two innings of the game.

The Mavericks scored two runs in the 1st inning on RBI singles from Kyle Serrano and Andrew Contreras. They would add another run in the 5th inning when PJ Gonzalez grounded out to shortstop and scored Kevan Elcock.

Contreras added another RBI single in the 6th inning. Jake Druce doubled home Bligh Madris to increase the lead to 5-0. They would add another run in the 9th inning on a throwing error that allowed Zach McLeod to score.

With the four game sweep of the Rangers, the Mavericks improved to 30-8 (22-2 RMAC) while the Rangers fell to 24-15 (17-11 RMAC). The sweep also continued the team’s winning streak from 13 games in a row to 17 games.

The Mavericks head to Alamosa, Colo. next weekend for a four game set against Adams State (11-27, 5-19 RMAC). Games are set for Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.