Mitchell Morimoto was 3-4 with an RBI and stole two bases
Mitchell Morimoto was 3-4 with an RBI and stole two bases

Early burst does it for baseball in 8-5 win over Chandler-Gilbert

  MESA, AZ - Tuesday it was a late outburst, with ten runs in the last three innings, that propelled Mesa to victory over Chandler-Gilbert. Wednesday MCC took matters into its own hands early, building a 6-1 lead after four, en route to an 8-5 win and a sweep of the Coyotes.

  The win improves Mesa to 17-4 on the year and 13-3 in ACCAC play.

  After CGCC scored one in the top of the first the T-Birds quickly answered with three and were never headed.

  Successive singles by Alex Gudac (So., West Jordan, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic H.S.), Jordan Zimmerman (So., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) and Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.), plus a sacrifice fly by Brate Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.) had MCC on top 3-1 at the end of one.

  Mesa added another in the third on a bases loaded walk by Chad Leonard (So., Mesa, AZ/Queen Creek H.S.).

  In the fourth it was singles by Casey Moses (North Las Vegas, Nev/Centennial H.S.), Gudac and Zimmerman, a sac fly by Morimoto and a base hit by Bate that made it 6-1.

  After the Coyotes cut the margin to 6-3 in the sixth, the Thunderbirds retaliated with two more in the bottom of the inning with the help of CGCC pitching. Mesa drew three walks and had a batter hit, surrounding a single by James Anderson (So., Henderson, Nev/Coronado H.S.).

  Morimoto went 3-4 while Gudac, Zimmerman and Anderson each collected two hits.

  The T-Birds travel to Douglas, AZ, Saturday for a big conference doubleheader with league leader Cochise. It begins at noon.