DURANGO, Colo. - The No. 14 Metro State softball team continued to roll, sweeping its third consecutive four-game series on Sunday with two wins over Fort Lewis, winning 9-5 in game one and 13-2 in five innings in game two. The Roadrunners have won 12 straight games and 17 of their past 18 games to improve to 24-4 overall and 17-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Skyhawks dropped to 9-15 and 6-12 in the RMAC with the two losses.
Game 1: The Roadrunners had 11 hits, led by Sarah Rusch, Jennessa Tesone, Corrie Nishikida and Jessica Haab with two hits each. Kellie Nishikida, Rusch and Corrie Nishikida each belted home runs as well. Corrie Nishikida drove in a team-high three runs.
Christie Robinson went the distance on the mound to improve to 14-1 this spring and has now earned the victory in her past 13 appearances.
Kellie Nishikida got things started for the Roadrunners in the top of the first, hitting a solo home run as the second batter of the game. Her sister Corrie Nishikida hit a three-run home run to left field later in the inning, driving in Rusch and Tara Mickelson in the process.
Metro State added single runs in the second and third to take a 6-0 lead. Haab led off the second with a double down the left field line and scored on a ground out by Kellie Nishikida. Danni Hedstrom scored in the third inning on a base hit by Haab.
The Roadrunners led 8-0 in the top of the sixth after a two-out rally. Rusch belted a home run to left and Tesone followed with a double to center. Mickelson then drove in Tesone with a base hit to left.
However, the Skyhawks got back into the game in the bottom of the sixth with five runs on four hits, capped by a two-run home run by Stevie Benedict.
Metro State added another run in the seventh as Amber Roundtree drove in Corrie Nishikida with a sacrifice fly.
Game 2: The Roadrunners knocked out 14 hits in five innings to defeat Fort Lewis 11-2. Tara Mickelson went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in to lead the offensive attack. Amber Roundtree, Sarah Rusch, Corrie Nishikida and Danni Hedstrom all added two hits. Brittney Moss earned the win on the mound, throwing all five innings and striking out two.
Metro State scored six runs with two outs in the second inning to jump on top. Lauren Hainlen hit an RBI single to score Nishikida to put the Roadrunners on the board. That's when things fell apart for Fort Lewis as the Skyhawks committed two errors and gave up back-to-back doubles to Roundtree and Kellie Nishikida.
The Roadrunners added five more in the fourth inning to lead 11-0. Following a ground out to start the inning, Roundtree singled and Nishikida reached on an error and advanced to second, to put runners on second and third. Rusch ripped a two-run single to center. After Jennessa Tesone grounded out, the next four batters reached, highlighted by an RBI single by Mickelson and a run-scoring double by Hedstrom.
Moss allowed a two-run home run with nobody out in the bottom of the fourth, but retired the next three batters.
Metro State scored two more in the fifth on five consecutive singles with two outs by Rusch, Tesone, Mickelson, Corrie Nishikida and Hedstrom. Nishikida brought Rusch and Tesone home with her base hit.
The Roadrunners will host Regis University on Wednesday, March 25 at noon at Auraria Field.
