Sports Reporter
Home sweet home.
The CMU baseball team opened up the newly renovated Suplizio Field this weekend against Metro State, and although the field has changed, its winning ways didn’t.
“Supilzio has always been our home,” coach Chris Hanks said. “I know the kids we recruited are going to finally get to play there, and the seniors of course.”
In Friday’s “Game of Hope,” Nolan Snell took the mound for the Mavericks in front of 2,461 people and threw a no-hitter into the sixth inning. But in the top of the seventh he ran into some trouble, allowing three runs in the inning before his departure. Snell went 6.1 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on three hits while striking out 11 and walking seven. Tamatoa Demello had the defensive highlight for the Mavs as he caught a shallow fly ball in center and threw out the runner on first for the double play. The Mavs capitalized on seven errors by Metro State and scored in every inning but the first, winning the game 19-5.
Justin Rosales led the Mavs, going 3-4 with three RBI and four runs scored. Austin Kaiser also drove in three, going 2-5. Every Maverick that started had a hit in the game.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, the Mavs proved they can also pitch their way to a win. They had 11 hits combined for both games. Jared Christensen started the first game and went 5.2 innings allowing one run on four hits and struck out a batter, improving his record to 9-2 on the season. Derek Benham pitched 1.1 innings of relief and preserved the 3-1 victory for the Mavs, earning his seventh save of the year. CMU had runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Metro struck out the next two batters, keeping the sore knotted at 0-0. The Mavs got another opportunity in the fifth and didn’t let it slip away, as two runners scored off a squeeze bunt by Jeff Popick and a throwing error by the first baseman.
“Everything was working, especially the infield,” Christensen said. “I just had pretty good control today and the guys behind me picked me up pretty well.”
Popick finished 2-3 with an RBI and run scored while Colton Little also threw out two hits in three at-bats and scored a run.
Game two saw little offensive production from the Mavs as they squeaked out two hits, but only needed one from Dustin Fackrell to win the game. Fackrell hit a hanging curveball over the left-center field fence for a grand slam, putting the Mavs up 4-0.
“As I was timing the pitcher I said I wanted the curveball inside because he hangs it a little bit,” Fackrell said. “That’s what pitch I got and I put a good swing on it and it happened to get out.”
Starting pitcher Dylan Evans pitched a complete game shutout, allowing three hits, striking out eight and walking one.
“It was a pitcher’s duel, their kid pitched good and obviously Dylan Evan pitched great,” Hanks said. “We weren’t hitting today but we fought out and found a way to win two games.”
The Mavs’ bats exploded once again on Sunday as they cruised to a 21-5 win. CMU scored in every inning but the second and got homers from Popick, Justin Rosales, Bryce Shemer and Colton Schoelkopf. Garrett Carpenter earned the win for the Mavs, pitching six complete innings and allowing one run on seven hits and striking out seven.
Schoelkopf and Dustin Fackrell each finished 3-4 while Fackrell added three RBI and two runs scored.
The Mavs host “Record Attendance” night Friday at 6:35 p.m. at Suplizio Field.
Recent Comments