Baseball takes series opener with Scottsdale, 8-1

  SCOTTDALE, AZ - Mesa began its two-game series with Scottsdale with an 8-1 victory on the road Friday.

  Five different players had two hits apiece as the T-Birds pounded out 11 hits including five extra base hits.

  MCC took control from the start, scoring in the first inning on a force out by Mitchell Morimoto (Fr., Issaquah, Wash/Issaquah H.S.) that drove in Alex Gudac (So., West Jordan, Utah/Juan Diego Catholic H.S.) who had tripled.

  A single by Casey Moses (So., North Las Vegas, Nev/Centennial H.S.), a walk to Gudac, a sacrifice fly by Jordan Zimmerman (So., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) and a double by Morimoto added two more in the third.

  Mesa made it 4-0 in the seventh when Brady Bate (Fr., Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork H.S.) singled and eventually scored on an error.

  After SCC got an unearned run in the seventh the T-Birds broke it open with four in the eighth, including Bate's second homer of the season.

  Chad Leonard (So., Mesa, AZ/Queen Creek H.S.) and Danny Lutz (So., Phoenix, AZ/Shadow Mountain H.S.) each had two hits including a double. Gudac had two with a triple, Bates two with a home run and Moses added two singles.

  Tyler Carvalho (So., Lancaster, Calif/Paraclete H.S.) went eight innings for his fifth win without a loss. He allowed just three hits and one unearned run, as well as striking out 12. A walk he issued in the eighth was his first of the season in 31 innings. He has 33 total strikeouts.

  The two teams conclude their series at Mesa Saturday at noon.