COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team suffered a pair of tough losses against No. 5 Colorado Mesa University with both games being decided by one run. The Mavericks took game one 7-6 and won game two 15-14 on Saturday inside Mountain Lion Park.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final: Game 1: UCCS 6, CMU 7 | Game 2: UCCS 14, CMU 15
Records: UCCS (7-4, 3-4 RMAC), CMU (12-1, 9-0 RMAC)
Location: Mountain Lion Park | Colorado Springs, Colo.
All-Time Series: UCCS trails in the all-time series with a 4-11 record against Colorado Mesa as the Mavericks hold a four game winning streak.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE:
• The runs came pouring in early for both squads with CMU claiming the first lead of the ballgame by scoring three runs off five hits in the top of the first, led by Hunter McGeary who hit a two-run home run for the Mavericks in the inning.
• UCCS claimed two of those runs back in the home half of the first thanks to an RBI single by Jake Anderson and a Matt McDermott. McDermott's run came across after he stole third with a throwing error from catcher Spencer Bramwell giving McDermott a free 90-feet to score.
• With a 3-2 lead, the Mavericks came to add to their lead in the next two innings as Bramwell hit a single through the right side with bases loaded to drive in two runs in the second inning. Later in the third inning, a CMU two-run home run from Chase Hamilton put the Mountain Lions at a 7-2 deficit.
• After giving up seven runs through three innings, starting pitcher Jon Sotto bounced back to throw a scoreless fourth inning as the Mountain Lions offense picked back up starting with a three-run third inning.
• McDermott singled up the middle to start the inning as Anderson drove McDermott in with his first triple of the season. Four pitches later Aaron Faragallah tallied his first RBI of the game with a hard groundball to shortstop to score Anderson and cut the Mavericks lead 7-4.
• The Mountain Lion scoring continued as the familiar long ball made an appearance in the bottom of the fourth and fifth inning as Kiichi Sato and Faragallah hit a pair of solo home runs, respectively.
• Down one run going into the sixth, UCCS reliever Hayden Salverda came in for Sotto with one out in the inning and closed out the sixth with no damage done.
• In the bottom of the sixth UCCS threatened to score as a pinch hitting Dylan Morace laced a double in the right center gap to start the inning.
• Up next came catcher Michael Bennin who received the bunt sign from Dave Hajek and executed perfectly to put the game tying run in Morace 90-feet away. But CMU retired the next two UCCS batters to leave Morace stranded as the Mavericks maintained the 7-6 lead going into the seventh inning.
• Salverda did his job once again after doubling up CMU on a caught line drive on the mound and forcing a groundout to end the top half of the seventh.
• For the second consecutive inning the Mountain Lions started off with a baserunner on second with Richards supplying a leadoff double to represent the game tying run. Similar to the sixth inning, the Mountain Lions were unable to get the tying run across as CMU ended the inning with a strikeout followed by throwing out a baserunner at second to end the game, 7-6.
 
STATS FROM GAME ONE
• Jon Sotto moves to 1-1 on the season after going five and one third innings allowing five earned runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts.
• Jake Anderson and Aaron Faragallah finished with a team high two RBI as they finished 2-for-3 and 1-for-4 respectively.
• The Mountain Lions were outhit 11-10 by the Mavericks with the Mountain Lions leaving a game high five runners left on.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO:
• In game two, both the Mountain Lions and Mavericks scored in three out of the seven innings with UCCS striking first by scoring six runs in the second inning.
• All UCCS' runs were scored on two outs as home runs from Kiichi Sato, Matt McDermott, and Jake Anderson were responsible for all six runs. Sato blasted a two-run homer to drive in Ryan Schmidt and draw first blood as McDermott and Anderson went back-to-back. McDermott sent a three-run home run on top of the outfield berm in right center as Anderson sent a towering solo home run over the batter's eye in center field to give UCCS a 6-0 lead.
• UCCS' Creed Jeffers contained the Mavericks through three scoreless innings before CMU's bats came alive in the fourth to give them their first lead of the game.
• CMU went off for a nine run inning that was powered by three Maverick home runs. Those three home runs came with runners on base and were responsible for eight runners coming across as the Mavericks burned through three Mountain Lion pitchers and took the lead 9-6.
• But the Mountain Lions were far from being done as extra base hits fueled another six run burst in the bottom of the fifth inning.
• Redshirt junior Jaeden Hegmann provided the first double of the inning to score Jake Anderson who reached by way of a walk as Ryan Schmidt drove in two more with a double that found the right center gap. A third double came off the bat of Walker Rumsey as he scored Schmidt and set up another runner in scoring position for Evan Richards. With one swing of the bat Richards sent a ball over the right center field fence for two RBI and a 12-9 Mountain Lion lead.
• UCCS' lead would disappear as quickly as they got it back as the Mavericks posted five runs in the top of the sixth to regain the lead and register the fourth lead change of the game.
• Four hits including two doubles and a triple led to the Mountain Lions to be down 14-12 heading into the home half of the sixth inning.
• Down by just two runs UCCS answered the call and brought the game to a 14-14 tie as Hegmann lined a single up the middle to bring up the hot swinging Dylan Morace who delivered his first home run as a Mountain Lion into right center for two RBI.
• But in the top of the seventh, it took one swing of the bat for the Mavericks to regain and keep the lead as Tyler Parker hit a solo home run to bring the final score to 15-14.
 
STATS FROM GAME TWO
• UCCS registered 14 hist in the ballgame including three doubles and five home runs.
• Every Mountain Lion in the starting lineup tallied a hit with eight of them recording at least one RBI.
• Matt McDermott recorded a team high three RBI after finishing 2-for-4 with a home run.
• Designated hitter Dylan Morace and second baseman Kiichi Sato turned in a 1-for-4 day with two RBI as they each had a home run.
• Catcher Ryan Schmidt went 2-for-4 in the game with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored.
• Left fielder Evan Richards finished 2-for-5 in the ballgame by adding a home run, two RBI, and two runs scored.
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• Kiichi Sato takes over the team lead with seven home runs as he and Evan Richards are tied with 16 RBI on the season.
• Jaeden Hegmann currently leads the team with a .475 average and 19 hits.
• Jon Sotto slides into second on the team with 10 strikeouts on the year as Daniel Silva leads the team with 20.

UP NEXT:
The Mountain Lions will look to bounce back on Sunday, Mar. 21 in game four against No. 5 CMU. Game four has been pushed up to 11 a.m. given forecasted weather that is expected to move in during the afternoon.
 
SOCIAL:
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.