COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colin Cicere struck out nine batters while Colin Ludwig and John Mallon each went three-for-four at the plate as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs earned a series split with No. 17 Colorado Mesa in a 4-3 victory today at Spurgeon Field. The Mountain Lions (10-9, 5-3 RMAC) are second in the conference standings and one game behind the Mavericks after the first two weeks of the RMAC season.

UCCS scored its first two runs with two outs in the first inning with Mallon driving in Tyler Matheny with a single, and then Ludwig scoring Mallon on a double. Both teams retired the other in order in the second inning. Colorado Mesa put a runner on third with one out in the third inning, and put runners on the corners after a walk, before the Mountain Lions turned a double play to keep the Mavericks off the scoreboard.

Colorado Mesa hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning and took a 3-2 advantage before Cicere struck out the next two batters. The Mountain Lions tied the game in the sixth on a single from Efrain Medina to score Zach Hall and retook the lead with a single from Ludwig to score Mallon. The Mavericks threatened with a runner on third with two outs in the top of the ninth before a groundout to third base secured the 4-3 win today.

Cicere's nine strikeouts were a new season-high, along with a season-long eight-inning stark. Joe Slocum earned his conference-leading fifth save of the season with a strikeout in the ninth inning. Mallon's three hits marked a new season-high and Ludwig matched his season-best. Matheny and Scott Martinez each extended their hitting streaks to five games in today's game.

UCCS will be on the road for the final series off of Colorado's Front Range in a four-game weekend at Adams State in Alamosa, Colo. The Grizzlies (6-12, 0-4 RMAC) will host its first games of the season March 17-19.