Corona del Sol's baseball team had to be feeling lately a bit like an innocent man sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit.

That's what happens when your schedule matches you against the likes of Hamilton, Mountain Pointe, Mesquite and Gilbert  in succession -- all resulting in losses.

The Aztecs got released from the losses Thursday night, but not high-powered opposition. Mesquite, the No. 2 team in Division I power-point rankings was back again.  This time the Aztecs had just enough staying power at the end to pull off a 7-6 win over the Wildcats at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

"Losing this one could have been the nail (in the coffin)," Corona del Sol coach David Webb said. "Our schedule has been brutal. We needed this one."

Corona ran its overall record to 15-9 and is 8-6 in power-point games. Two weeks ago at 7-2 in ppg, the Aztecs were in the top 10; they had slipped to No. 20 before Thursday's game. Mesquite is 17-6 overall, 10-3 ppg.

Corona, which has played without its top two pitchers all season due to injury and used a bunch of arms in a 13-12 loss to Gilbert on Tuesday, had to go to Tuesday's starter Chris Tate to record the final out. That's because closer -- Nathan Birecki -- was unavailable still feeling the effects of a line drive off his pitching hand on Tuesday.

Tate, a left-hander and third Corona pitcher to appear in the seventh, entered with two runners on and a 7-6 lead. Pitching carefully to Mesquite's leading-hitter Garrett Jeffries (a .500 hitter), he walked Jeffries to load the bases. That brought clean-up and right-handed hitting Jake Howard, the Wildcats best power source. Tate was able to take care of Howard on three pitches -- a well-place fastball on the outside corner and two change-ups Howard swung through to end the game and the nail-biting.

"We came up just short," Mesquite coach Jeff Holland said. "You can't spot them five runs like we did....."

The game didn't begin as a nail-biter. In fact visions of run-rule game might have been conjured up in some fans minds after Corona bolted to a 7-0 lead in the third.

Corona hammered Mesquite starter and lefty Dylan Rana for five runs and eight hits in the first two innings. Six of Corona's eight hits in the first two innings were to right field and three were for extra bases.

The Aztecs strung together four straight singles with two outs in the second to finish Rana. The Aztecs added two unearned runs off reliever Tanner Wilson in the third for a 7-0 advantage. Wilson, however, finished the game for Mesquite allowing two hits and no earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The offensive standouts for Corona were Josh Ethier (3-for-4), Colby Hamilton and Shawn Maloney (2-for-3) and winning pitcher Jorgensen, who helped himself with an RBI single and sacrifice fly.

Mesquite pecked away at Corona starter Jorgensen from the third inning on, scoring twice in the third, once in the fifth and twice in the sixth to pull within 7-5 heading to the final frame. Jorgensen allowed nine hits, five walks and struck out five.

Leading the comeback for Mesquite was John Ferrendelli, who had three hits and three RBI. Mesquite was hurt by outs on the bases -- two caught stealing (second) and one picked off second.

It didn't appear to be a nail-biter early. In fact visions of run-rule game might have been conjured up in some fans minds after Corona bolted to a 7-0 lead in the third.

Corona jumped on Mesquite starter and lefty Dylan Rana for five runs and eight hits in the first two innings. The Aztecs added two unearned runs off reliever Tanner Wilson in the third for a 7-0 advantage. Six of Corona's eight hits in the first two innings were whacked to right field and three fwere or extra-base hits. They Aztecs strung together four straight singles in with two outs in the second and had Mesquite reeling.