Colorado Christian played tough baseball in Saturday's doubleheader, but couldn't avoid the sweep at the hands of #3 Colorado Mesa, falling 9-5 and 9-2 in Grand Junction.
 
Mesa was able to get to game one starter Matt Lewis early, scoring four runs in the first three innings and the Cougars were forced to play from behind the rest of the way. After Lewis exited in the sixth, Garret Henrichsen and Jackson Gaskins each threw two innings in relief, surrendering two runs apiece.
 
Despite scoring three runs in the eighth and ninth, the Cougar offense was largely held in check by Mesa pitching. Shortstop Zach Scott singled in Stephen Galambos in the third to cut the Mavericks lead to one run, but it would be the closest the Cougars would get.
 
Scott's two hits and two RBI in game one raised his team-leading batting average and gave him 10 RBI, also tops on the team. The Scottsdale, AZ native would total four hits on the day, putting his average at .400 through twelve games.
 
Catcher Weston Wiederhold collected two RBI as well, scoring the Cougar runs in the eighth inning with his single to right center.
 
The Cougars were undone in game two by the Mavericks' big innings at the plate. The Mavs scored in all but two innings and put three men across the plate in both the third and sixth frames. Austin Atkerson (4 2/3 ip) and Danny Graves (1 1/3) threw in the series finale, with the sophomore Atkerson getting tagged with the loss.
 
Still just a four-run game in the sixth, Mesa finally put it out of reach when a single and subsequent throwing error by the shortstop Scott cleared the bases and gave the hosts the 9-2 lead that would become final shortly after.
 
RBI groundouts by Dustin Conley and Justin Crider in the first and fourth innings would be the lone scoring plays in the contest, with Christian limited to seven hits. Conley's sixth RBI of the season is now second on the team.
 
With essentially a twelve-game road trip to open their season, the Cougars will be anxious to get back to Lakewood and put the four losses to Mesa in the rearview mirror. Up next for CCU is a series with Colorado Mines at All-Star Park beginning Friday. First pitch against the Orediggers is scheduled for noon.