Chris Carma didn’t feel very comfortable pitching at Suplizio Field, until Wednesday night.
The Mesa State College junior pitcher threw his first complete game at home to lead the Mavericks to a 13-3 RMAC tournament victory over New Mexico Highlands at Suplizio Field.
No. 15 Mesa State (41-15), which moved up one spot to sixth in the NCAA Division II West Region poll, won its 10th straight game.
“We’ve been rolling,” Carma said. “I wanted to challenge guys today. That’s what happened.
“I’ve been a little uncomfortable at home. We played phenomenal defense.”
Carma (8-3) limited the Cowboys (28-29) to three runs on eight hits with one strikeout.
“That was his best outing in a few weeks,” Mesa State coach Chris Hanks said. “Highlands was ready to play.”
The defense helped Carma get out of the first inning with a double play, but Highlands broke through with a run in the second and two in the third for a 3-0 lead, then got some help from its defense.
Highlands right fielder Kevin Ayers made a diving catch to save two runs and get out of the third inning with a 3-0 lead.
“Ayers catch in right center was the best catch I’ve ever seen in this ballpark,” Hanks said. “Highlands battled.”
The Mavericks responded with back-to-back triples by Marty Rover and Chris Cassell. Cassell’s triple scored Rover and Rover scored on Chandler Herdt’s groundout, but Highlands limited the damage to go into the fifth inning with a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Mavericks went to the short game.
“The short game got us going,” Hanks said. “A lot of guys did a lot of good things.”
Leadoff hitter Justin Little, who was 4 for 5 with two runs and two RBI, led off the fifth with a bunt single and scored on Mike Provencher’s home run for a 4-3 lead.
In the sixth, Herdt led off with a double, then Andrew Martinez reached when Highlands first baseman Joe Mulroy and pitcher Derrick Keith had a miscommunication covering first base. Little put down a squeeze bunt to score Herdt for a 5-3 lead.
“We wanted to get on them as quick as possible,” Little said. “They gave me the opportunity to put it down. It’s a play we do all the time. It’s expected to get it down.”
Highlands made another pitching change, but Gorman Romero walked Curtis Englehart with the bases loaded to give Mesa a 6-3 lead. Matt Miller followed with a two-run double, this time out of the reach of Ayers. Englehart then scored underneath Kristian Sifuentes’ tag on a fielder’s choice for a 9-3 lead. Two outs later, Andrew Martinez singled home two runs for an 11-3 lead.
Mesa State sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning.
The Mavericks added two runs in the eighth, including a sacrifice fly by Little.
COLO. MINES 11, METRO ST. 4
Cory Ast limited the second-seeded Roadrunners to one earned run, five hits and struck out six in the Orediggers’ victory.
The sophomore left-hander received all the run support he needed in the fourth inning when Mines (20-32), which had 15 hits, scored five runs to take an 8-1 lead.
NEB.-KEARNEY 16, REGIS 8
Ryan Sheldon limited the top-hitting team in the country to four earned runs on 10 hits in six innings to pick up the victory.
By the time Sheldon was pulled, the Lopers (30-25) had a 14-4 lead.
Five players had at least two hits and drove in at least three runs for Kearney (30-25), which had 17 hits, including five for extra bases.
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E-mail Allen Gemaehlich at agemaehlich@gjds.com.
