The Colorado Christian baseball team accomplished something this weekend it hasn't done in nine years, sweep an RMAC opponent. The Cougars took both games in today's doubleheader against the Adams State Grizzlies to go 4-0 on the weekend and get their record back to .500 on the season at 13-13 (8-8 RMAC). The last time CCU accomplished this feat was against Colorado School of Mines in the 2010 season.  
 
Game 1:
 
The Grizzlies sent eight batters to the plate to jump out to an early lead in the game in the 1^st inning. A mixture of some well-placed hits and some ill-timed errors from the Cougars, eventually leading to ASU taking a 3-0 lead after one frame.
 
The Cougars came back and started the bottom of the inning with a triple from leadoff hitter Cooper Gray, who was brought in by Hunter Hays who sent a slow grounder to shortstop for the RBI. Despite getting two more runners on base, none of them would reach home and the Cougars would only notch one run in the inning to make the score 3-1 going into the 2^nd inning. 
 
The Grizzlies would score another run in the 2^nd, making the score 4-1. The Cougars answered with a set of walks to load the bases by Luke Bote, Joel Manzano, and Cooper Gray. Hunter Hays stepped up and hit a sac fly to bring home Bote and make the score 4-2. CCU would again be held to just one run despite having multiple baserunners.
 
ASU launched a homer off the scoreboard in left field on the first pitch of the 3^rd inning to extend their lead to 5-2.
 
In the bottom half of the inning the first five Cougars would reach base safely, led by Scotty Wright who reached first on a single and Austin Atkerson who was walked. With two runners on, Austin Maltby hit a two RBI double to left center and cut the lead to only one, 5-4. The game would be tied when Luke Bote hit a single to bring home Maltby. Bote then advanced to second on the throw. Joel Manzano then reached on a single, pushing Bote to third. Bote was brought home from a sac fly from Cooper Gray, giving the Cougars the lead 6-5. 
 
CCU was finally able to hold the Grizzlies in the 4^th, with a quick three outs and no runs scored. The trend continued and both teams went scoreless for the next few innings. 
 
The scoreless streak was finally broken in the bottom of the 7^th, when Luke Bote led off with a single, advanced thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Joel Manzano, got to third on a wild pitch, and was brought home by a sac fly from Kaleb Johnson to extend the lead to two. 
 
The top of the 9^th would see Adams State make a charge to overcome their two-run deficit, they would score one and load the bases with two outs, but CCU closer Jarrod Rivera would force the final Grizzly batter to ground out to second to end the game. The Cougars would survive four errors to win 7-6.
 
Leading the Cougars offensively was Luke Bote who bounced back after a less-than-ideal UCCS series and went 2-3 on the day with a walk, three runs scored, and an RBI. Scotty Wright was the only other Cougar with multiple hits in the game going 2-3 with a run scored. Austin Maltby drove in a pair of runs, and despite not getting a hit in the first game, Hunter Hays drove in two runs.
 
Starting pitcher for the Cougars, Bayley Chesterton, picked up his third win of the season, striking out three Grizzlies, walking another three, and hitting three more. Four of the five runs scored during his 5 2/3's innings of work were earned on six hits.
 
Michael Cantrell, Alex Ginn, Zach Haning, and Jarrod Rivera would combined to finish the final 3 1/3 innings, coming together to strike out five batters and allow just three hits and one unearned run to finish the game. Rivera earn his second save of the season in the 9^th.
 
Game 2:
 
Game two was a complete game by the Cougars, dominating at the plate and on the mound. Cougars starter Scotty Wright was quick to finish the first inning with just 13 pitches after facing only three batters.
 
The Cougars took an early lead in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs. Cooper Gray reached first after being hit by a pitch, stole second, and then was brought home after a single from Hunter Hays. Jerry Gallegos and Alex Ginn followed up back to back singles of their own, with the single from Ginn bringing home Hays to make the score 2-0.
 
Wright continued the trend and ended the second inning as fast as the first, only throwing 13 pitches to three Grizzlies. 
 
CCU's bats were on fire in the bottom of the 2^nd, bringing in seven runs. After the first two Cougar batter struck out, the Cougars would rattle off four straight single, a walk, then two more singles that began with Scotty Ingle. Ingle was followed by Cooper Gray and Hunter Hays. Jerry Gallegos brought in another single which brought home both Ingle and Gray. Alex Ginn was then walked, and Luke Bote followed with a single to bring home Hays and Gallegos. The next single came from Dillon McTague to bring home Ginn, followed by the final single from Joel Manzano which scored McTague and Bote. The Cougars finished the inning with a matched seven hits and seven runs. 
 
The Cougars notched in another run in the bottom of the third after Scotty Ingle walked, advanced to third after a single from Hunter Hays, and was brought home by a Jerry Gallegos single extending the Cougar lead to 10-1. 
 
Another quick inning in the 4^th, only three batters for Scotty Wright, this time needing just seven pitches to take care of business.
 
Bringing in one more run in the 5^th, CCU held a ten-run lead, 11-1. The run was almost identical to the run in the 3rd, as Scotty Ingle was the one brought home yet again. He was walked, Hunter Hays singled to send him to third, then Jerry Gallegos singled to bring Ingle home.
 
Another CCU error in the top of the 6^th allowed Adams to bring in another unearned run, making the score 11-2. The Grizzlies were not going to give up and brought in a second in the 6^th, to shrink the lead to eight. 
 
With most of their starters out the Cougars did not let off the gas in the bottom of the 6^th. CCU would tack on an additional four runs to bring the lead to it's final tally of 15-3. The game would be closed out by freshman relief pitcher Heath Hays who got the final three outs to seal the series sweep.
 
The Cougar second baseman Hunter Hays had a day to remember, going 5-5 while scoring two runs and bringing in one. It is the first five hit game of the season for the Cougars. Another incredible stat line came from captain and center fielder Jerry Gallegos, who went 4-4 with four RBI's and a run scored in the short seven inning game. Dillon McTague was the only other Cougar with multiple hits with two to go along with two runs scored and an RBI. Luke Bote, Joel Manzano, and Kaleb Johnson all had a pair of RBI's in the game and Scotty Ingle and Cooper Gray scored three and runs respectively.
 
Scotty Wright went five innings and recorded his team leading fourth win in today's final game. He allowed just one earned run on two hits, while striking out six and walking no Grizzlies. Today's outing brings Wright's ERA under five for the season and has a ratio of 2.2 strikeouts per walk.
 
The Cougars will take their five-game win streak to Golden, Colorado for an RMAC pod play weekend when they play a pair of games against Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa in what will be their toughest weekend of the season. They will play a double header on Friday the 6^th, taking on Mesa first at 3:00 p.m. and Mines under the lights at 6:30 p.m. Saturday will pit the Cougars against the Mavericks at 12:00 p.m., and Sunday CCU will finish off the weekend against Mines at 3:30 p.m.