Box Score

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Metro State scored five runs in the top of the ninth to rally for a 9-7 victory at No. 7 Mesa State on Friday.  The win moves the Roadrunners to 4-3 overall and 1-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while MSC fell to 2-5 overall and 0-1 in the RMAC.  The Mavericks are coming off a trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series and a 44-15 season in 2009.

Trailing 7-4 in the top of the ninth, David Fox (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) ripped a one-out double down the left field line, his third double of the game, to start the rally.  A walk to David Kaplan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.) and a single to right by Cody Henry (Thornton, Colo./Legacy H.S.) loaded the bases and chased Mavericks starter Scott Bachman from the game.  Reliever Jack Amidei got pinch hitter Evan Claus (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado H.S.) to ground out to short, but Fox scored on the play.  Chris Redding (Northglenn, Colo./Northglenn H.S.) then drilled a two-run double to left to tie the game.

Mesa State again went to its bullpen, but the result was the same as Brennan Brown (Thornton, Colo./Legacy H.S.) and Zach Krueger (Holyoke, Colo./Holyoke H.S.) greeted Taylor Hamilton with consecutive run scoring singles, pushing Metro State's lead to 9-7.

The Mavericks made things exciting in the bottom of the ninth.  After closer Ross MacDonald (Las Vegas, Nev./Bonanza H.S.) got a ground out to start the inning, three consecutive batters reached base.  Peter Arakawa singled through the left side, before MacDonald walked preseason All-America left fielder Kevin Becker and No. 3 hitter Lucas Shaw.  But MacDonald recovered, getting cleanup hitter Chase Moore looking at strike three and forcing a ground out to second by Marty Rover to end the game.

Redding belted a two-run home run in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2.  But Mesa State answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and the fourth to take a 6-2 lead.  Bradshaw Perry (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) led off the top of the seventh with a home run to left-center and Fox later scored in the inning on a single by Henry.

Fox led Metro State with three hits, all doubles, while Redding, Krueger and Henry each had two hits.  Starter Ted Jamison (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain H.S.) allowed six runs, three earned, in six innings.  Reliever Sean Walter (Wiggins, Colo./Wiggins H.S.) earned the victory, allowing one run in two innings.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at noon.