Mesa Baseball, Women's Golf and Women's Tennis for Wednesday
Mesa Thunderbird Athletics were in full activity with a baseball game, women's tennis match vs. New Mexico State and women's golf finishing their invitational.
Baseball
Mesa, AZ – After losing three of their last five games, the Mesa Community College baseball team(25-5, 13-4 ACCAC) got back to their winning ways again on Wednesday afternoon in Mesa as they defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils Club team by a score of 19-3.
Scoring six runs in the first inning, seven runs in the third inning and six runs in the fifth inning, the Thunderbirds finished with five different players recording multiple hits on the day, including multiple runs batted in from sophomores Mitchell Morimoto and Drew Lawrence and freshmen Drew Bailey and Kody Funderburk.
With two runners on in the bottom of the first inning, Morimoto laced a two-run triple to center to give Mesa the first runs of the game. After sophomore Jacob Boston walked in the following at-bat, back-to-back RBI doubles from Bailey and Funderburk helped give the Thunderbirds a 6-0 lead at the end of the first.
The Thunderbirds kept hacking away in the third when Funderburk opened things up with an RBI triple for the first run of the inning, and RBI singles from Lawrence, Bailey and freshman Estaban Martinez followed in the inning.
Mesa’s 19 runs on 18 hits may have been the headline, but another impressive pitching performance from sophomore Matt Mosca was able to cool down the Sun Devils. In five innings of work, Mosca allowed two runs on six hits and struck out a total of eight batters. Mosca now moves to 5-0 on the season with a total of 48 strikeouts over more than 37 innings of work.
The Thunderbirds will look to go for their third and fourth straight wins next Tuesday afternoon when they travel to Thatcher to take on the Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters in a double-header beginning at 12:00 p.m. MST.
Women's Golf
MESA, AZ – Just two days after pulling out one of its closest victories in years, the Mesa women’s golf team returned to its usual dominant ways, taking a 40-stroke win at the Chandler-Gilbert Invitational at the Toka Sticks G.C. Tuesday and Wednesday.
MCC recorded a 311-316—627 to easily out-distance Pima which carded a 333-329—667. It was MCC’s 67th consecutive Region I win.
Individually, Samantha Hernandez tied for medal honors with a 76-75—151. Jill Harvison was two shots back in third place at 74-79—153.
Savannah Cooper (78-84—162), Brianna Medrano (85-80—165) and Chelsie Peterson (83-82—165) all finished among the top eight.
The T-Birds return to action April 4-5 at the South Mountain Invitational at the Legacy G.C. in Phoenix.
Women's Tennis
MESA, AZ – NCAA Division I New Mexico State proved too much for the Mesa women’s tennis team Wednesday, taking a 7-0 win over the T-Birds.
MCC’s Hannah Nelson had the closest match, falling at No. 4 singles to Mia Brandt, 1-6, 6-3, 7-10.
Maria Garduno extended Elena Arnaudova at No. 6, 4-6, 3-6 and Emily Chang battled Rimpledeep Kaur at No. 1 before falling, 1-7, 5-7.
The loss was Mesa’s first of the year brining its record to 9-1. But, MCC is still 3-0 in ACCAC play.
The T-Birds will host Skagit Valley (Calif.) Monday at 1:00 p.m.