The Benedictine Mesa baseball team split their doubleheader against Providence Christian, dropping a hard-fought 10-inning battle in Game 1, 10-9, before bouncing back with an explosive 11-6 victory in Game 2.

Game 1: Providence Edges Benedictine in Extras
In a back-and-forth showdown, Benedictine Mesa came up just short, falling 10-9 in 10 innings.

The Redhawks struck first in the opening inning when Larson grounded out to second, bringing in Vine-Close for an early 1-0 lead. They extended their advantage in the third, as Parra's RBI single drove in Davies and Fenner to make it 3-0. Moments later, Bauler blasted a three-run homer, scoring Larson and Vine-Close, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Providence Christian responded in the bottom of the third with an RBI single from Fuller, cutting the deficit to 6-1. They continued chipping away, adding another run in the fourth on a Panarisi RBI single. The hosts completed the comeback in the fifth, with Vega's two-run single and a two-run double from Panarisi tying the game at 6-6.

Benedictine briefly regained the lead in the sixth when Bauler's RBI double brought home Tatum, making it 7-6. However, Providence answered with an RBI single from Vega to even the score at 7-7.

The Redhawks pulled ahead again in the eighth when Moore's RBI single plated Tatum for an 8-7 advantage, but Providence responded once more, tying the game on a bases-loaded walk before taking a 9-8 lead after Ayala was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Down to their final at-bat, Benedictine showed resilience in the ninth as Tatum doubled to drive in Vine-Close, forcing extra innings. Unfortunately, Providence Christian secured the walk-off win in the 10th when Castro's RBI single brought home Raskin for the 10-9 victory.

Game 2: Cosenza's Four-Homer Performance Fuels Redhawks Victory
Benedictine Mesa bounced back in dominant fashion, powered by Cosenza's historic four-home-run performance in an 11-6 win over Providence Christian.
Cosenza opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo shot, then added another in the fourth to double the lead to 2-0. In the fifth, Bauler reached on an error, allowing Larson to score and extend the advantage to 3-0.

Providence Christian stormed back in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs to take a 4-3 lead. Panarisi's RBI single and Fuller's RBI double set the stage before Aguallo launched a two-run homer to give the hosts their first lead of the game.

Benedictine responded emphatically in the sixth, erupting for eight runs. Cosenza tied the game with his third homer of the day, followed by a solo shot from Romero to reclaim the lead at 5-4. Larson's RBI double and a wild pitch added to the tally, making it 7-4.

Then came the highlight of the game—Cosenza crushed his fourth home run, a grand slam, putting the Redhawks ahead 11-4. Providence added two late runs, but Benedictine's offensive explosion sealed the win.

Key Players

• Jacob Bauler: 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 HR, 1 double, 4 RBIs
• Willie Tatum: 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI
• Joseph Cosenza: 4 runs, 4 hits, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs
• Jose Romero: 1 run, 1 hit, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Looking Ahead
The Redhawks return to action on Wednesday, February 26, as they take on Fraser Valley at home.