Five in seventh by Phoenix downs baseball, 10-6

  MESA, AZ - In a back and forth contest Phoenix struck last and big, scoring five runs in the eighth inning to take a 10-6 victory over Mesa in a game called after eight innings by darkness.

  The loss ends a three-game winning streak for the T-Birds and drops them to 13-4 on the season with a 9-3 ACCAC record.

  The Bears (10-6, 7-5) struck first when their first two hitters, Nick Ryan and Bodie Bryan hit back-to-back doubles.

  But MCC had an immediate answer in the form of Jordan Zimmerman (So., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) Trying to overcome the effects of a hamstring injury that caused him to miss 11 games, he made his presence known quickly with a booming home run to left, driving in Alex Gudac (So., West Jordan, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic H.S.) who had singled.

  The Bears countered with two in the second to take a 3-2 lead, but Mesa once again rallied. This time Matt Hart (Fr., Tempe, AZ/Seton Catholic H.S.) walked, was sacrificed to second by Kyle Gibbs (Fr., Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista H.S.) and scored on a base hit by Gudac.

  PC regained the lead with two more in the fifth, but again Mesa retaliated. This time it was a three-run double by Zimmerman who drove in Danny Lutz (So., Phoenix, AZ/Shadow Mountain H.S.) who had singled and Gudac and Brady Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.) who both had drawn walks.

  Mesa's 6-5 lead was short-lived as Phoenix plated five in the seventh including three on a double by Harris Lyons.

  Gudac finished 3-3 with two walks and an RBI and Zimmernman was 2-4 with five driven in. Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.) and Lutz each had two hits.

  The T-Birds begin a two-game set with Scottsdale on the road Friday at 3:00 p.m.