Morimoto home runs lead baseball to 17-9 win over Arizona Christian JV

  MESA, AZ - Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.) blasted two home runs and drove in four to help Mesa to a 17-9 win over the Arizona Christian JV Monday.

  Morimoto got started with a two-run shot to straight-away center field in the first and added a solo blast to left in the sixth. 

  His first homer was part of a four-run first that put MCC ahead, 4-2, after ACU scored two unearned runs in the top of the inning.

  After adding one more in the second, the T-Birds appeared to break the game open with a five-run fourth highlighted by a two-run double by Brady Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.).

  But the Firestorm battled back with five in the sixth, including a three-run triple by Justin Meir.

  Morimoto gave Mesa a little cushion with his second blast in the sixth, but Arizona Christian narrowed the gap with two in the seventh and threatened with runners on second and third and no outs.

  That's when Garrett Bowman (So., Roy, Utah/Roy H.S.) took over. He struck out the next three hitters and then fanned the side in the eigth en route to his second save of the year.

  Michael Warning (Fr., Henderson, Nev/Coronado H.S.) got MCC off to a good start with five strong innings, allowing just four hits and two unearned runs while striking out five.

  Alex Gudac (So., West Jordan, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic H.S.) was 2-2 with a double, triple, two RBIs and two run scored.

  Bate also finished 2-2 with two doubles and two RBIs. Connor Markell (Fr., Chandler, AZ/Hamilton H.S.) was 2-3 with an RBI. Drew Lawrence (Fr., Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek H.S.) added a solo home run in the eighth.

  MCC will host the Utah State University Club Team in a doubleheader Wednesday at noon.