COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team came back down two runs in the ninth inning to take an 11-10 victory over Colorado Mesa University.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
- Final Score: UCCS 11, CMU 10
- Records: UCCS (21-16, 10-10 RMAC) | CMU (28-10, 21-3 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Mountain Lion Park | Colorado Springs, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions move to 11-28 all-time against the Mavericks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After both offenses were retired in order in the first inning, the first batter to reach safely came in the top of the second when Joey Blank struck a hard-hit ball up the middle with two outs. With the runner on, Mountain Lions' starting pitcher Ryder Mancuso struck out the next batter to keep the game tied.
- UCCS would start the scoring in the bottom of the second when RBI singles by Trevor Dale, Nolan Ackerman, and Mikey Brinton plated a run apiece to take a 3-0 lead heading into the third. Colorado Mesa would respond with two runs of their own in the third on three hits to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
- The Mountain Lions would be held scoreless in the third inning before CMU tied the game on an RBI double to left center field off the bat of Kennedy Hara. With the game tied at 3-3, Mancuso ran into some trouble with runners on the corners in the sixth inning when a single into right field gave Mesa a one run lead through five and a half innings.
- In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kit Wigington, Hayden Iverson, and James Harbison led off with singles through the left side of the infield to load the bases with no outs. The next batter, Caleb Chance, gave UCCS a 5-4 lead on another single into left field before heading into the seventh inning.
- The Mavericks loaded the bases down by a run with one out in the seventh inning when back-to-back hits and a sacrifice fly plated four runs to take an 8-5 lead. UCCS would not score in the seventh inning, leading to two more added on to CMU's lead in the top of the eighth to go up by five.
- Down by five in the bottom of the eighth, Caleb Stubbings came up to bat with one out and two runners in scoring position and hit an opposite field home run to shrink the deficit down to two runs. Relief pitcher Joe Plise ran into some trouble in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs but struck out the next CMU batter after falling behind 2-0 to send the game to the final half inning down by two runs.
- In the bottom of the ninth, Bryce Peterson reached first safely on a hit into left center field with one out and scored on a throwing error by Mesa's shortstop on a ground ball to make it a 10-9 ballgame. Caleb Chance would come up to hit with runners on first and second and sent a hit into right field to tie the game at 10. The next batter, Stubbings, hit a walk off single into right field to take the 11-10 victory.
GAME STATISTICS
- The Mountain Lions recorded 16 hits to the Mavericks' 12.
- Caleb Stubbings went 2-5 with a home run, the team leading four RBIs, and the walk-off hit into right field.
- Caleb Chance went 4-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
- Joe Plise (1-2) picks up his first win, pitching two and two thirds innings with three strikeouts, a walk, and three earned runs.
- Brenden Morris (1-1) loses his first game of the season on one and a third innings with two strikeouts and a walk.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Sunday's walk-off was the first for the Mountain Lions since April 2, 2023 against CCU, also coming off the bat of Stubbings on a two-run home run.
- This past weekend was the first regular season split with CMU since March 23 and 24, 2019.
- This weekend was the first time since 2021 that the Mountain Lions beat CMU twice in the same season.
UP NEXT
- The Mountain Lions will travel to CSM Darden Field in Golden, Colo. for a four-game series against Colorado School of Mines beginning on Thursday, Apr. 17 with first pitch scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (MT).
SOCIAL
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
