GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball dropped two games to No. 6 Colorado Mesa University on Saturday as the Mavericks clinched the series with the doubleheader sweep.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Game 1: UCCS 0, #6 CMU 12 | Game 2: UCCS 5, #6 CMU 10
Records: UCCS (7-14, 3-4 RMAC), CMU (18-5, 9-2 RMAC)
Location: Bergman Field| Grand Junction, Colo.
All-Time Series: UCCS trails the all-time series 7-18 with the Mavericks extending their win streak to four games.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
• UCCS'
John Hoffman retired the first five Mavericks before facing a small bump in the road in the second inning after a fielding error was followed up by a single to put runners on first and third for the Mavericks. With two outs in the inning, the sophomore southpaw got after Chase Hamilton to force an infield pop-up and keep the Mavericks at bay as the scoreless ballgame continued into the third.
• Able to grab the first out of the inning, UCCS then saw the Mavericks establish another scoring opportunity that got started off a second Mountain Lion miscue as a dropped flyball resulted in a runner on second base. A wild pitch then placed the game's first run 90 feet away as Hoffman's first walk put reigning National Player of the Year Haydyn McGeary up to the plate with runners on first and third with one out. McGeary jumped on the first pitch for a three-run home run to initiate a five-run third inning as Spencer Bramwell drove a double to left field for another two runs and the 5-0 CMU advantage.
• In the bottom of the fourth, the Mavericks continued their offensive pressure by working three walks and placing runners on second and third with no outs, but Hoffman worked out of the jam once again with a groundout to
Nate Heflebower at second base to maintain the five-run deficit.
• After throwing five shutout innings and allowing two hits, CMU starter Blake Rohm was relieved by Dave Henderson who also tossed a scoreless inning by retiring the eighth, ninth, and 10
th straight Mountain Lion to head into the home half of the sixth.
• Then a combination of three hits, two errors, and five walks plagued the Mountain Lions in the home half of the sixth inning as six runs came across after one run scored in the fifth to push the Mavericks ahead for the 12-0 final.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
• The Mountain Lions were outhit 8-4 in the game as the Mavericks drew 11 walks.
• Only three of CMU's 12 runs were earned as the Mountain Lions committed four errors.
• John Hoffman threw four innings of work where five runs (two earned), on three hits, six walks, and three strikeouts moves him to an 0-1 record for the season.
• CMU's Blake Rohm improves to 3-1 behind five full innings of shutout baseball after allowing two hits and registering four strikeouts.
• Four different Mountain Lions came away with a hit including
Tyler Richardson who went 1-for-2.
• Spencer Bramwell of CMU led the game with three hits and finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double. Haydyn McGeary registered a game high four RBI after hitting a three-run home run to end game one 1-for-4.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
• The Mountain Lions came out ready to swing the bat in game two as UCCS ignited an offensive spark by scoring their first run of the series.
Kiichi Sato got the game started by roping a leadoff triple after being down 0-2 to give the Mountain Lions their first runner in scoring position of the day. After the next two batters were retired, Caleb Stubbing came through big with an RBI single to grab the lead right out of the gate, 1-0.
• In the bottom of the first, the Mavericks answered back in similar fashion as CMU's two-out hitting resulted in a an RBI double with Conrad Villafuerte driving in Caleb Farmer to tie the game up through one inning of play, 1-1.
• UCCS kept the offensive spark alive in the second as the leadoff man got on for the second straight inning as
Mason Pastorello singled through the right side for the Mountain Lions fourth base hit. The next pitch, Pastorello found himself on third base and in scoring position after Handy delivered a wild pitch to the backstop that catcher Caleb Farmer fielded and sailed over second base into center field. A runner on third gave the hot-hitting
Matt Johnson an RBI opportunity that the redshirt sophomore capitalized on by sending a fastball the opposite way for an RBI single to lift UCCS to a 2-1 lead.
• As UCCS grabbed their second of the game lead it was once again short lived as the Mavericks went to small ball to get the tying run across as Matt Cassin laid down the squeeze bunt with one out to bring the game back to even in the bottom of the second inning, 2-2.
• Having scored two consecutive innings, the Mountain Lions came to be held scoreless in the top of the third as the Mavericks continued the streak by plating two runs to grab their first lead of the ballgame with Chase Hamilton recording a two RBI double down the left field line for a 4-2 advantage.
• Down two runs, the Mountain Lions were rendered scoreless in the top of the fourth after Pastorello was stranded on third base to end the inning and leaving the door open for CMU.
• The Mavericks offense went to work in the home half of the fourth as five hits produced five runs with Haydyn McGeary driving a three-run home run to right center and Farmer recording two RBI of his own off a single to left field for a 9-2 lead.
• After CMU added a solo run in the sixth, the Mountain Lions made one last push in the top half of the seventh as
Macully Sehr sent a single up the middle to get a rally going. Kyle Miller of CMU had a tough time recovering after the leadoff hit as Miller loaded the bases with a walk and two hit by pitches as
Jaeden Hegmann wore a fastball to register an RBI. UCCS was not quite yet finished as a
Kit Wigington sacrifice fly and
Caleb Stubbings groundout gave each of the underclassmen an RBI. With two outs and a runner on second, the Mountain Lions flew out to left field to end the game as CMU held on to win, 10-5.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
• Cole Philip receives his first decision of the season and moves to 0-1 after four full innings saw nine runs off 11 hits.
• CMU's Kannon Handy grabs his fourth win of the season by going five innings and giving up two runs on seven hits while recording 10 strikeouts.
• UCCS left six runners on base in game two as CMU outhit the Mountain Lions 12-8 in the contest.
•
Caleb Stubbings went 1-for-4 with a team high two RBI as
Kiichi Sato and
Mason Pastorello finished with a team best 2-for-3. Sato added two runs scored in the game as both of the staring second baseman's hits went down as extra base hits (double, triple).
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• The Mountain Lions have been shutout in back-to-back games for the first time in program history.
• UCCS tied their season high in walks in game one after allowing 11 walks as they also gave up a season high nine unearned runs in game one of today's doubleheader.
•
Kiichi Sato hit his team leading 11
th double and third triple in game two.
UP NEXT:
Game four of the series is slated for tomorrow afternoon as UCCS and CMU will face-off at 12 p.m.
SOCIAL:
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
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Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
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.
