Colorado Mesa University is starting to enjoy those Saturday games.
Behind a line of strong performances at the plate and two quality starts on the mound, the Mavericks secured their third straight Saturday doubleheader sweep, defeating Adams State 11-4 in game one and11-0 in game two.
Game one featured three separate innings where the Mavericks put up a crooked number. It started in the second when CMU pushed across four runs to take the early lead. Back-to-back doubles by Tanner Garner and Josh Shapiro gave the Mavericks a 4-1 advantage for starter Garrett Hutson.
Nico Nintze tagged Hutson for a solo shot one batter into the game, but the dominant senior buckled down and battled the rest of the way.
Hutson found himself in a small jam with runners on first and second in the fourth but struck out Nintze looking to end the inning. The senior was up to 78 pitches to this point in a start where the Grizzlies made him earn scoreless innings.
Chase Hamilton bought two more Mavericks around to score with a sizzling shot down the left field line. Later in the inning, Caleb Farmer added an RBI single with a screaming liner to right field which chased Grizzly starter, Daniel Brennan.
Brennan became the second straight starter for the Grizzlies to surrender eight runs in less than 4.0 innings of work. He pitched just 3 ⅔ innings and gave up nine hits and four walks.
Adams State tacked on three more in the fifth and sixth. Jett Wodiuk pitched in relief but gave up a home run to Patrick Huffaker and an RBI single to Erik Hildebrandt. Freshman Gage Edwards came in and retired the side after striking out Logan Bistrup swinging.
Spencer Bramwell kept the barrage going with a two-run double that left fielder Noah Befus just missed on a dive to his left.
Hutson gave up an RBI single in the fifth, but the run was unearned, leaving the senior with a pitching line of 5 innings, two runs (one earned) on five hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks. He remains undefeated on the year with a 7-0 win-loss record and a 1.66 earned run average.
Andrew Morris was the star of game two as the right-hander tossed a one-hitter through seven scoreless innings en route to his first win on the season. He struck out 11 and allowed just two baserunners all afternoon on 80 pitches.
Morris is coming off back-to-back strong outings and seems to be on track after scuffling during a few stretches earlier in the season. He would add another strong arm to an already legit top of the rotation.
Dominic DeMarco wasted no time getting the Mavericks on the board, sending the first pitch of the game into the over the right-field fence and into the parking lot.
The fun didn’t stop there as CMU brought six around to score in the inning. Bramwell, Tyler Sandoval, and Garner each contributed RBI singles against Troy Gutbub to nab the early lead.
It was yet another poor start for an Adams State starter in what has become a trying weekend for the Grizzlies at the start of ball games. Gutbub was able to manage his way through 4 ⅔ innings but gave up 11 runs on 10 hits and three walks in the process.
Garner kept the sweet stroke going with an RBI triple in the third and another RBI single in the fifth. He finished 3 for 3 in game two with three RBIs.
Josh Shapiro entered the home run column in the fifth, his first on the year, to cap the lopsided victory.
