Four-run first leads baseball past Paradise Valley, 8-4

  MESA, AZ - Breaking out of the box quickly with a four-run first inning, Mesa went on to an 8-4 ACCAC baseball victory over Paradise Valley Tuesday.

  The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the T-Birds and gives them sole possession of first place in Division II of the conference.

  A double by Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.) got things started for MCC (10-2, 6-1). Brady Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.) reached on an error which scored Morimoto. Successive singles by Matt Hart (Fr., Tempe, AZ/Seton Catholic H.S.), Drew Lawrence (Fr., Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek H.S.) and Danny Lutz (So., Phoenix, AZ/Shadow Mountain H.S.) each plated a run to put the T-Birds up, 4-0.

  PVCC got a homer in the fourth from Josh Rojas and then narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the sixth when a short fly ball by Roberto Martinez fell between three Mesa defenders putting runners on second and third. Jake Alexander drove both home with a base hit.

  But MCC got the runs right back in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Rose (So., Tremonton, Utah/Bear River H.S.) reached on a fielder's choice and Casey Moses (So., North Las Vegas, Nev/Centennial H.S.) singled. Both raced home on a Morimoto triple.

  After Marshall Forest closed the gap to 6-4 with an eighth inning home run, MCC added a little breathing room with two in its half. Rose and Morimoto each had base hits to key the inning.

  Morimoto was 3-4 with three RBIs while Lawrence and Lutz each had two hits.

  Evan Fresquez (So., Las Vegas, Nev/Coronado H.S.) went seven innings for the win improving to 3-0. He struck out seven and walked just one. Josh Murtha (So., Las Vegas, Nev/Faith Lutheran H.S.) tossed the final two innings for his first save.

  The two teams meet again Wednesday at Paradise Valley at 3:00 p.m.