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| Pitcher Tom Johnson
boasts a 2-0 record and has given up no runs for the T-birds
on the season. |
| Photo
by Drew Bashler |
MCC baseball stunned
Benjamin Buettner
Mesa Legend
Thunderbird baseball started the season
winning their first six games but were greeted by two surprising
losses in the same day, both on the final day of the Junior College
Tournament hosted at Mesa.
The first four wins were accumulated against Weber State, where
MCC won by a combined score of 52-3. MCC followed up with two more
wins in the first day of the Junior College Tournament. North Lake
Texas fell first to the Thunderbirds 14-5 before Eastern Utah was
outscored 8-2 in Mesa’s second game on Feb. 4.
Unfortunately, the T-Birds’ hit parade stalled against Chandler-Gilbert
Community College who held Mesa to one run as they managed five
in the first game of the second day of the tournament.
The disappointing first game was followed by a showdown with Fullerton
Junior College, located across the street from College World Series
mainstay California State Fullerton.
Mesa’s ace Kyler Newby, who has not allowed a run on the year,
was riding a no-hitter into the sixth inning. As Newby tired, Fullerton
began to rally and the Mesa bullpen could not stop the surge.
Fullerton was down 4-3 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the
eighth inning, which was predetermined to be the last inning of
the game due to the lack of light.
The rambunctious adversaries stormed the field as a Fullerton player
rounded the bases after lining a shot to left-centerfield over centerfielder
Nate Burnham’s head to win the game 5-4.
“You would think they just won the World Series,” said
head coach Tony Cirelli of Fullerton’s joy of beating Mesa.
Michael Levi leads MCC in numerous offensive categories including
batting average (.536), hits (15), runs batted in (12), doubles
(4), triples (2), and runs (11). One of Mesa’s standout returning
sophomores, Bobby McMurray, is probably done for the year according
to Cirelli. McMurray had played a large portion of last season complaining
about arm soreness and still led the team in homeruns and RBI. A
recent MRI revealed a torn rotator cuff and labrum.
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