PARKER, Colo. - Metro State scored two runs in the top of the 11th to hold on for a 12-10 victory over Colorado Christian in Lakewood on Friday afternoon. The Roadrunners are now 11-7 overall and 2-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Matt McConnell led the offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate with two runs scored, two RBI and a double. Dakota Nahm hit Metro State's only home run in the game.
The Roadrunners got a strong outing from starter Joel Lockhart, who pitched 6.1 innings and allowed just two earned runs and struck out six. But reliever Ryan Eccles failed to record an out, while allowing seven runs (four earned) to cost Lockhart the victory. Reliever Ross MacDonald pitched 4.2 shutout innings out of the bullpen and struck out six to earn the win.
Metro State took a 2-0 lead in the second after back-to-back walks to Jordan Stouffer and Nahm. The Roadrunners added another in the third to take a 3-0 lead after another leadoff walk to Chris Redding.
Colorado Christian got one run back in the bottom of the inning after a one-out single and an error.
Metro State added two more in the fifth and sixth innings each. Mike Coffey and McConnell led off the fifth with back-to-back singles and scored with the bases loaded when Nahm walked and Brennan Brown was hit by a pitch.
Marcel Dominguez singled to left to start the sixth and Redding followed with a walk. Dominguez later came home on a wild pitch and Redding scored on a sacrifice fly by McConnell, putting Metro State ahead 7-1.
But things fell apart for the Roadrunners in the seventh as CCU scored nine runs as nine consecutive batters reached base against Lockhart and Eccles. MacDonald came in to put out the fire and recorded the final two outs of the inning.
Metro State tied the game in the top of the ninth as Nahm blasted a two-run home run to score McConnell and Dominguez hit an RBI single to right to plate Tyree Abshire. MacDonald pitched around a two-out error in the ninth to force extra innings.
Things got scary for the Roadrunners in the bottom of the 10th after CCU's Brett Myatt reach on an error to lead off the inning. But catcher Kevin Caughlin picked Myatt off first base. Chris Guyer then doubled to left and advanced to third on a sacrifice. But MacDonald coaxed a ground out to end the threat and keep the game alive.
Nahm led off the 11th by reaching on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second when Brett Bowman walked. Caughlin followed with a single to load the bases. Tommy Frikken then hit a sacrifice fly to left to put Metro State ahead 11-10. After Dominguez reached on an error to load the bases again, Ben Christiansen hit a sacrifice fly to center to give Metro State a 12-10 lead. Caughlin was later caught in a rundown between third and home to end the inning.
MacDonald pitched a perfect 11th, striking out two and getting a ground out to pick up the victory.
The two teams are scheduled to meet for a doubleheader on Saturday in Lakewood, weather pending.
