Hot Hitting Helps Mesa Push Past the Geckos, 12-3

Mesa, AZ - With playoffs right around the corner and with Mesa trailing the Gateway Geckos in the ACCAC DII standings by two games, today's afternoon matchup was an important one for both ball clubs.

The T-Birds buckled down and knocked in a dozen runs to inch one game closer to the Geckos in the standings with a 12-3 victory at Gene Autry Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ, home of the Gateway Geckos.

With a bit of help in the top half of the first inning, Mesa was able to push across four runs on four hits, with two errors on the Geckos.  

Gateway battled back in their half of the first, scoring two runs off the arm of Michael Warning, who pitched into the bottom of the sixth inning for Mesa.

Mesa added a fifth run in the fifth inning when Esteban Martinez singled in Mitchell Morimoto from third, who tripled down the left field line start off the inning.  For Morimoto, that was his 11th triple of the season,which leads the nation.

In the seventh, Jacob Boston scorched a triple to right center field.  Kody Funderburk hit a sac fly to left, scoring Boston, pushing the Mesa lead to 6-3.

Mesa's bullpen has seen its rough patches throughout the year but today wasn't one of those days as Max Williams came in and shutout the Geckos in the final three innings he pitched.

Mesa knocked in six more runs in the top of the ninth to put the game way of reach.  The T-Birds are now 19-13, one game behind the Geckos, who are 20-12 in the ACCAC.

With six games to go, all against ACCAC DII teams, Mesa looks to overtake that number one spot before the Regional Playoffs.  Mesa will be at Paradise Valley Friday at 3 p.m. then back at home against the Pumas Saturday at noon.