CMS Baseball Takes Down Chicago 12-2 in Season Opener

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Jack Potter, Andrew Mazzone and Tyler Shaw each hit home runs, and Aaron Herst went five solid innings to get the win, as the CMS baseball team defeated Chicago 12-2 in its season opener on Friday at Ben Hines Field.

Shaw led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run to stretch the lead to 12-2 and enforce the 10-run rule. Mazzone finished the day 3-for-4 with three RBI to pace the Stag offense. 

Chicago scored first, pushing across two runs in the top of the third on a two-run double from Erik Rindner. However, the Stags came right back with four runs in the bottom half, all with two outs, to take the lead for good.

Julian Sanders got the inning going when he went the other way for a two-out triple down the right field line. Potter then stepped up and mashed a home run over the left field fence to knot the score up at 2-2. 

The Stags didn't stop there, as Dillon Martin was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going, and Kieran Sidebotham followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Bryce Didrickson then tripled over the left fielder's head to plate two runs and make it 4-2 in favor of CMS. 

The fourth inning saw similar results as the Stags pushed four runs across to go ahead 8-2. Adam Dapkewicz led off with a single, and went to second on a single from Shaw. Mazzone then plated his first run of the day with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2. 

Sanders had an RBI forceout to stretch it to 6-2, and after Potter walked, Sanders came home on a throwing error, and Sidebotham had an RBI double to make it an 8-2 game. 

CMS scored three more in the fifth on an RBI double from Dapkewicz to plate Riley Gordon, who led off with a single. One out later, Mazzone pulled one to right for his first home run with the Stags. Shaw then led off the seventh with a solo shot to finish off the game early. 

Herst went five innings, allowing four hits and striking out two to get the win. Parker McGraw threw two innings of shutout relief, allowing two hits and striking out two to close it out. 

The two teams will finish their three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader at Long Beach City College.