Knights Split Doubleheader With Mesa

The Knights played a doubleheader against Mesa on Saturday, and after dropping the first game, 7-3, they responded with a 12-3 victory in the second game with Quinn Johnson going 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs as the Knights improved to 15-9 overall and 5-5 in the PCAC.

San Diego City fell behind, 5-0, but got back in it with two runs in the bottom of the fourth off a bases-loaded walk by CJ Brown and a wild pitch that allowed Tom Early to score from third base.

Mesa regained a 7-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but the Knights gave themselves a chance in their final at bat by loading the bases with two out. Unfortunately, their threat ended with all three runners stranded.

The Knights, however, showed their resiliency by winning big in the second game of the doubleheader. After scoring the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning, City put up five runs in the fourth inning to grab a 6-0 lead. 

Conner Stewart started that inning off with a double and then Jones reached on a walk. Johnson followed with a 3-run home run to left field, his seventh of the year. Drew Lazor then hit a double and later scored on Justin Kerby's double. With two out, the Knights got their fifth run of the inning off an RBI-single by Julian Nunez.

The Knights added four more runs in the fifth inning to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Johnson doubled in a run, and later, with the bases loaded, Kerby's ground out allowed Johnson to cross home plate. With the bases loaded again, Brown hit a 2-RBI single to cap off another big inning. 

The Knights then scored twice on errors in the bottom of the sixth to increase their lead to 12-0.

Mesa scored three runs in the top of the eighth and had the bases loaded, but City reliever Brevin Taft ended Mesa's rally by getting their final batter of the inning to hit into a double play.

Avery Laine started the game for the Knights and pitched four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, but left with an injury. Jacob Hennessey (6-2) earned the win after throwing three hitless innings with three strikouts.

The Knights will start a 3-game series against first place Palomar (8-0) on Tuesday at Morley Field with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.