Matt Kroschel/Criterion

Matt Meyer
Sports Reporter

The Mesa State baseball team (13-8, 8-4 RMAC) completed their second straight series sweep, beating Regis University four times over the weekend.
The Mavericks escaped with a game one win Friday, surviving a Regis push in the bottom of the ninth inning. With an 8-7 lead, Maverick pitcher Mike Sutton walked the first Regis hitter, and then the next hitter threaded a single through the left side of the infield. Next, on an attempted bunt, catcher Marty Rover fired the ball down to third for a fielder’s choice. With runners on first and second, Sutton shut Regis down, ending the game with a fly-out and then a ground-out.
Mesa State scored seven runs, on 13 hits and committed two errors. Chase Moore led the Mavericks at the plate, going 3-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Scott Bachman (3-1) notched the win for the Mavericks, giving up four earned runs over 7 1/3 innings, recording three strikeouts and no walks. Sutton recorded the multiple inning save for the Mavericks, his first of the year.
“We’re a fairly new team,” senior outfielder Brian Bello said. “It just took us awhile to get comfortable and get used to playing with each other so we could roll.”
Saturday, the Mavericks picked up another close win during the first seven inning game of the doubleheader, this time scrapping for runs in the late innings.
After surrendering two runs to Regis in the top of the fourth inning and falling behind 4-3, the Mavericks answered in the bottom of the fifth inning, where smart base running and wild pitching helped them tie the game.
With one out, Kevin Becker drew a walk and quickly advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Becker advanced to third base on Rover’s slow-rolling single to the shortstop. Rover’s base-running blunder then nearly cost the Mavericks, when Regis’ catcher picked him off at first, taking away the sacrifice fly option for the Mavericks. But the Mavericks tied the game on the next pitch, when a curveball squirted by the catcher, and Becker scored, tying the score at 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Art Flores led off with a single and then was replaced by Erik Nordine on the base-paths. Nordine was quickly bunted over to second by Austin Buck and then knocked in on an RBI single by Bello to give the Mavericks a 5-4 lead that they would not relinquish.
The Mavericks scored five runs on seven hits and committed three errors. The offensive leader of the game was Flores, who went 2-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Jack Amidei (1-1) received the late game win, pitching three innings, giving up no earned runs with five strikeouts and no walks.
“We have a really solid group of guys,” Bello said. “If one guy is struggling, the rest of us pick him up. It’s a team effort.”
During the second game of the Saturday twin-billing the Mavericks extended their win streak to seven games with a much more convincing win.
The Mavericks cruised to victory behind a complete game victory from Chris Shea (3-2). After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the second inning, the Mavericks scored in the next three innings, capped by three run fourth inning, to put on a dominating show against Regis.
The Mavericks scored six runs on eight hits and committed no errors. Nordine led the Mavericks, going 2-3 with two RBIs.
Shea notched the win, surrendering two earned runs with two strikeouts and two walks in his third complete game of the year.
During the final game of the series the Mavericks escaped with a close win with another late inning rally. In the top of the eighth, a walk and a two run homer erased the Maverick lead. After a pitching change, the Mavericks managed to escape the rest of the inning unscathed. Although the Mavericks could not answer in the bottom of the eighth inning, they held Regis scoreless in the top of the ninth inning.
The Maverick hitters had just enough left in the tank to push one run across the plate. After a ground-out, Becker walked, and remained on first during a fly-out. With two outs, Becker stole second to put a runner in scoring position with two outs for the Mavericks. Following a hit batter, Bello slapped a single in right field and scored Becker to seal the victory for the Mavericks in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Mesa State scored six runs on 10 hits and committed no errors. Brett Nigbur led the Mavericks at the plate, going 2-3 with a home run and two RBIs.
Derek Riley (1-2) was credited with the win. He surrendered no earned runs or walks, and also had no strikeouts.
With the series sweep of Regis, the Mavericks have swept two teams in a row, and have won eight games straight.
“We’re just going to keep rolling and keep working as a team,” Bello said.
The Mavericks look to extend their streak into double digits on the road next weekend, during a four game series at CSU-Pueblo. The first pitch will be thrown Friday night at 6 p.m.

jameyer@mesastate.edu