Mavericks outscore Cougars 36-6 in doubleheader sweep

Saturday was a demonstration of two teams on opposite ends on the spectrum, and it’s not close.

Colorado Mesa University outscored Colorado Christian University 36-6 in two seven-inning games on Saturday afternoon, capturing the series and improving to 25-4 and 13-2 in the RMAC. After seeing the Cougars (7-21, 2-13 RMAC) play competitively for nine innings on Friday, it was a surprise to see them come out so flat, even against the No. 1 team in the country.

The tone began early with the Cougars scoring three during the top of the first. The fire and grit the Cougars showed seemed to carry over from last night. Hunter Hays led off the game with a double down the left field line and Joe Manzano followed with a single through the right side.

Alex Ginn brought home a run with an RBI double to left center. CMU starter Isaac Hayen, making his first start of the season, settled down and retired two of the next four batters. Third baseman Will Dixon couldn’t handle a chopper that went under his glove which brought two more Cougars around to score.

Last night’s effort didn’t carry over, however, as it was all CCU would score against the CMU staff. Hayen located his off-speed and fastball through the last three innings and retired his last eight hitters. Ryan Overboe, Gage Edwards, and Nick Cardinale each pitched an inning of work and combined to allow no runs, two hits, three strikeouts, and one walk.

As the vaunted Maverick offense always seems to do, they answered with three of their own in the bottom of the first. Caleb Farmer started the rally with a two-out walk against left-hander Tyler Henning. Jordan Stubbings singled through the left side and both players advanced on a fielding error by left fielder Scotty Ingle who overran the ball and made an errant throw back into the infield.

Trevin Reynolds, who had two hits last night, kept the hot bat going with a two-run single to center. A high throw that went into centerfield by catcher Kaleb Sorensen brought Reynolds home to tie the game.

CMU took control and broke the game open in the bottom of the second. In a 2-0 count, nine hitters into the inning and the bases loaded, Dominic DeMarco turned on a fastball up in the zone and launched it over the right field wall, his fifth of the year, to push Mesa’s lead to 9-3.

Stubbings added a solo home run in the fourth and Haydn McGeary blasted a three-run shot over the batter’s eye in dead center. It was the freshman’s fifth home run of the season in 49 at-bats.

The Cougars played sloppy defensively and couldn’t find any command from their bullpen arms. Henning struggled with his location and gave up nine runs, four walks, and five hits in 1 ⅓ innings on 73 pitches. The rest of the group didn’t fare any better limiting the damage, combining to surrender 13 runs on 13 hits and five walks.

CMU pushed home eight runs in the bottom of the sixth and brought 15 batters to the plate in the inning.

It was much of the same dominance in game two. CMU carried over the lopsided inning affairs from the get-go and scored seven runs in the first, aided by McGeary’s two-run single to right and an RBI single by Spencer Bramwell.

McGeary, one to outdo himself, roped an impressive opposite-field shot for his second home run of the day and sixth of the season. For a freshman catcher, he has the power that may not be rivaled by other young catchers around the RMAC.

CMU added two more in the second after an error by third baseman Connor Marschall. With Reynolds at first, DeMarco drew a walk that chased CCU starter Evan Fink from the game, who nearly matched Henning’s stat line from game one: 1 ⅓ innings, 10 runs (eight earned) on three hits and five walks with just one strikeout.

Two batters later, Chase Hamilton hit a chopper to Marschall who threw it low to first baseman Hunter Hays. The throw went down the right-field line and turned into CCU’s fifth error on the day.

Garrett Hutson continued his dominance along co-ace JR McDermott. Another five scoreless innings lowered his RMAC leading ERA to 1.49. Hutson scattered four hits and struck out six. The right hander’s plus fastball and high arm slot continue to miss bats as he’s struck out 48 hitters over 42 ⅓ innings.

CMU freshman Josh Danyliw made his collegiate debut in the top of the sixth. Last year’s 4A State Player of the Year struck out Marschall to start the inning but found trouble after three consecutive walks and a hit by pitch. The Valor Christian alum allowed three runs (two earned) and three walks after facing five hitters.

Stubbings added two more in the third with a two-run double and finished 4-for-5 with four RBIs on the day. Haydn McGeary was 4-for-7 with seven RBIs and two home runs for both games.

The Mavericks outhit the Cougars 31 to 10 on the day and have now won 11 straight games at home.