Pair of walk-offs lift baseball to sweep of Utah State Club, 3-2, 8-7

  MESA, AZ - On a dramatic afternoon, the Mesa baseball team used a pair of walk-offs to take a doubleheader from the Utah State University club team, winning the first, 3-2, and the second, 8-7.

  In game one, MCC (21-5) entered the eighth, and extra, inning of what was scheduled for seven, tied with the Aggies, 2-2. With two out and no one aboard, Jordan Zimmerman (So., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) started the rally with a double. After walks to Brady Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.) and Logan Etherington (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev/Faith Lutheran H.S.), Chad Leonard (So., Mesa, AZ/Queen Creek H.S.) had the ball he put in play mis-handled, scoring Zimmerman with the winning run. 

  In the second game the T-Birds actually trailed entering the seventh. Bate got the rally started with a double. James Anderson (So., Henderson, Nev/Coronado H.S.) walked and Connor Markell (Fr., Chandler, AZ/Hamilton H.S.) singled, loading the bases. That set up a dramatic base hit by Jacob Boston (Fr., Chandler, AZ/Hamilton H.S.) which drove in the two winners.

  Zimmeramn and Bate each had two hits for Mesa in the opener. In game two, Alex Gudac (So., West Jordan, Utah/Juan Diego Cathlic H.S.) was 3-3 with an RBI in the nightcap. Bate, Zimmerman and Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.) each added two hits.

  The T-Birds will host the Arizona Christian JV Thursday at 3:00 p.m. and then the Utah State club in a single game Friday at noon.