Matt Kroschel/Criterion

Sports editor

Down nine runs in the ninth inning, most baseball teams might quit.
In the second of a four game series against Metro State, the Maverick baseball team found itself in just that position.
But unlike most baseball teams, the Mavericks didn’t quit. Instead, they got behind their bats and scored 12 runs to beat the Roadrunners 12-11, eventually splitting the series at Auraria Field in Denver.
The big inning started on a solo home run by Joe Schmitbauer and ended after eight hits, five errors and two Metro State pitching changes.
Schmidtbauer’s home run was the only one of the game for the Mavs, who finished with 14 hits.
Kyle Davis started on the mound, allowing nine runs on 13 hits. He was replaced by two batters into the seventh inning by Dustin Robirtis, who allowed a  single hit in his inning of work. Tim Moore allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, while Jack Amidei struck out two to earn his fifth save of the year.
The Mavs lost the first game of the series, a 10 inning 7-6 loss.
Metro State fell behind 5-3 when Mesa took the lead after a four run sixth inning. The Roadrunners tied it up in the bottom of the eighth. Mesa took the lead in the top of the tenth, but in the bottom of the inning allowed a lead off homerun and eventually lost on a walkoff single by Evan Claus.
The offense couldn’t get going in the third game of the series, a 6-2 loss.
In the final game the Mavericks got late offense, scoring nine runs in the last three innings of a 15-3 win over Metro. In that game the Mavs saw home runs from both Jeff Popick and Ryan Shelton.
The Mavs play a four game series at home this weekend against New Mexico Highlands starting Friday at 7, which is the Little League family night. There is a double header starting at 1:30 on Saturday and the final game takes place on Sunday at noon.