CANYON, Texas – The No. 7 Colorado Mesa baseball team managed to stave off elimination from the NCAA South Central Regional after defeating Tarleton State 3-2 in 11 innings on Friday at Wilder Park.
 
The Mavericks improved to 6-0 in extra-inning games this season and 3-0 all-time versus Tarleton State.
 
Colorado Mesa got on the board as early as possible, taking a 1-0 lead on a Hunter Douglas home run. Douglas, on the first pitch of the game, belted a solo home run to left field that hit off the netting in front of the scoreboard. The home run was Douglas' eighth of the season.
 
The score would remain that way until the seventh inning.
 
Kyle Leahy and the Texan's Nathan Hickey locked in pitching dual for the seven innings with neither allowing more than one base runner an inning. Hickey retired 11 of 12 batters at one point of the game while Leahy never allowed a leadoff man to reach base.
 
Tarleton State took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-run single by Elvin Alamo, giving them a 2-1 lead after seven innings.
 
The Mavericks knotted the game at 2-2 in the top half of the eighth on a RBI single by Garrett Ball that scored JJ Carr from third. Carr reached second to lead off the inning after hitting a single to left field and moving up on a mishandle by the left fielder.
 
After heading to extra innings, Garrett Ball led off the 11^th inning with a double to left center. One batter later, Zach McLeod laced a ball that went five-hole on the first baseman that helped Ball score from second base, giving the Mavericks the 3-2 lead.
 
Freshman Frankie Fitzgerald was nothing short of excellent in relief of Leahy. The Las Vegas native earned the win allowing just two walks and struck out four without surrendering a hit. Fitzgerald (2-0) allowed his two walks in the eighth to the two biggest home run threats in the Texan lineup and never allowed a baserunner after that.
 
Colorado Mesa improved to 41-15 on the season while Tarleton State's season ends with a 35-17 record.
 
The Mavericks will face St. Edward's in a loser-out game tomorrow at 2pm.