Mesa College had a great win in the bottom of the ninth inning against Grossmont College on Tuesday.

The game was a back and forth battle with Mesa scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Grossmont 7-6.

It was Mesa who jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning when their leadoff man Allen Boyer made some things happen with his legs. While on first base after drawing a walk, Boyer reached second base on a fielder’s choice. He then stole third and on the overthrow he scored. Then, catcher Zach Tanida belted his first home run of the season to put the Olympians up 2-0.

After that first inning it turned into a teeter totter game. If the game was not tied one of the teams was up by one run. There were five different lead changes in the game.

Grossmont took its first lead of the afternoon in the top of the third inning by scoring three runs to go up 4-3. It did not phase the Olympians for a second as they then tied the game in the bottom half of the third inning.

Starting pitcher Blake Gallacher had a strong performance on the mound and he was able to keep Mesa in the game.

Grossmont took a 6-5 lead going into the ninth inning. It was evident that even though the Olympians were against the ropes, it was clear that this game was not even close to being over.

Alejandro Diaz led off the bottom of the ninth inning for the Olympians by taking the first pitch he saw in the elbow. The minute Diaz reached base it became a game of chess for Coach

Kevin Hazlett. Hazlett sent pitcher Allen Townsend to pinch-run for Diaz. The next batter Donnie Frank laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Townsend to second. Boyer came up to the plate next and he was able to advance Townsend to third.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the tying run only 90 feet away, Tyler Bryan stepped up to the plate.

“When I go up there I’m thinking middle-in fastball,” said Bryan. “I want something that I want.”

The man his teammates call “Gramps” got exactly what he wanted. Bryan turned on a fastball and drove it to left field. Now it is a whole new ball game.

With Grossmont against the ropes the Olympians took advantage. Big man Anthony Lopez, who had struggled at the plate for most of the game didn’t struggle when it counted. Lopez kept the inning alive by hitting a double down the right field line. Grossmont then intentionally walked Tanida to load the bases.

Shain Stoner then came to the plate.

“I was loving that situation,” said Stoner. “I thrive on that kind of pressure.”

Stoner, who had a tomahawk home run earlier in the game, did the most basic thing a batter can do. He put the ball in play and it found a hole. Stoner hit a ground ball between Grossmont’s third baseman and their shortstop allowing Bryan to score from third.

The win helped move Mesa into a tie for third place in the Pacific Coast Conference. The Olympians are fighting for a playoff spot with seven games left in the season. Mesa’s next game is on Tuesday April 21 against Palomar.