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Last Updated: Oct 16th, 2008 - 13:33:17 |
Metro's slumping baseball team took a turn for the worse May 2-4 after dropping all four games to Mesa State in the season finale in Grand Junction.
Since the start of the season, the Roadrunners held the top spot in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. But a dreadful swoon has pushed Metro to drop it's last six games in a row and last eight of ten.
The Roadrunners entered the series finale against Mesa State needing to win one of the final four games to clinch home field for the entire Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament.
"It's been real frustrating to work so hard since the beginning of the season and play all these games to try and be the best team in baseball to only drop it in the final series," Metro catcher Reece Gorman said.
It was "Pack the Park" night at Suplizio Field, and Metro, which usually plays in front of crowds of about 65-70, witnessed a full house of 2,313 fans.
The Mavericks didn't disappoint their faithful fans by scoring five runs in the fifth inning to open the series with an 8-1 victory.
Mavericks pitchers Chris Carma and Brent Lamaster combined to hold the 'Runners to one earned run on five hits while striking out 12. But the eight walks issued to Metro raise questions about the missed opportunities as Metro left 12 men on base.
"The past few weekends we have left quite a few men on base," Gorman said. "When you have bases loaded and can't produce or with runners in scoring position and you can't produce, it just brings the the momentum down."
Metro pitcher Shawn Green was roughed up for eight runs in recording his only second loss on the season.
In game one of Saturday's doubleheader, the two teams combined for 29 runs on 29 hits with Mesa State edging out Metro by a score of 17-12.
Metro held a 10-0 lead after the top of the third inning, but the Mavericks pounded out seven runs in consecutive innings to take a 14-10 lead.
Metro pitcher Armado Casas had his worst pitching performance of the year, allowing seven runs, six earned, in only 2 1/3 innings pitched. Metro pitcher Josh Eckert came into the third inning to try and stop the bleeding, but the change didn't help as Eckert was drilled for seven earned runs in only 1 1/3 innings pitched.
Mavericks shortstop Mike Provencher had seven RBI in the game, including a home run in the fourth inning that cleared the bases full of Mavericks.
The second game of day two featured a solid pitching from both sides, but Mavericks pitcher Jason Enewold was even better, allowing only one run on two hits striking out 10 'Runners. Enewold went the full seven innings, as Metro's batters just couldn't figure the senior in the 4-1 loss.
"It was impressive," Gorman said. "He was getting the calls and hitting his spots."
Metro's starting pitching once again faltered, as Ted Jamison pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowed seven earned runs and walked four batters in the 15-6 loss on the last day of the regular season. The relief was no help giving up eight runs the rest of the way.
The four losses drop Metro's record to 30-10 in the RMAC and 38-17 overall while Mesa State finishes the year with a 31-9 record in the conference. The one-game edge gives the Mavericks home field in the tournament, and Metro will have to continue playing on the road after not playing at home in 15 games.
"We just can't put too much pressue on ourselves," Gorman said on the upcoming tournament. "We just have to come out and play the game we have been playing since we were kids and that's just having fun."
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