Last weekend at Suplizio Field was a pitching showcase, with neither Colorado Mesa University and Regis scoring more than five runs in any game. Friday night was different with the CMU bats on fire in the 13-0 win over Adams State University (ASU).
The Mavericks scored five in the first, pouncing on Adams State pitcher David Maldonado for five hits and three walks. With the bases loaded and Zach McLeod at the plate, an error by third baseman Orlando Romer allowed Hunter Douglas to score from third. Will Dixon made the error hurt, smoking a three-run double to center field. John Ballard’s RBI single brought in Dixon for the fifth run of the inning.
The early offensive punch marks the third straight game CMU has scored in the first inning.
The Mavericks pushed the lead to 11-0 with three runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. Douglas led off the inning with a single, and Caleb Farmer followed with a double down the left field line. Garrett Ball pounded a double to center on a 1-2 count that scored Douglas and Farmer, and Ball scored on Ballard’s second RBI single of the game.
Farmer and Ball repeated their actions from the fourth inning, with Farmer smoking an RBI double, his team-leading 13th two-bagger, and Ball lacing an RBI single. As the three and four hitters in the lineup, the two combined for a 6-for-10 night with four RBIs, three doubles and five runs. They were two of four Mavericks with three hits.
Kyle Leahy continued him home success, tossing seven innings of shutout baseball. Leahy flashed no-hit stuff, flirting with a perfect game through five and two-thirds innings until a triple in the top of the sixth broke up the perfecto. He struck out seven and only allowed the single hit.
It was Leahy’s fourth home start of the year, where he has been virtually unhittable, pitching 32 innings with only 16 hits allowed, one run and 36 strikeouts. His home earned run average sits at 0.28. The stellar outing moves him to 6-1 on the year with a 3.76 ERA.
The Grizzlies finished with more errors (3) then hits (2), and with the loss, moved to 1-38 on the season.
The win makes it two in a row for CMU, who improve to 26-12 with a 17-8 RMAC record. CMU sits two games behind Colorado School of Mines for first place in the conference.
CMU and ASU will play a doubleheader on Saturday, with the first contest starting at 1 p.m.
