KEARNEY, Neb. - No. 12 Metro State's softball team rallied with seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to earn a split with Nebraska-Kearney on Monday, dropping game one 7-5, before winning the second game 10-9. The Roadrunners are now 33-9 overall and 26-6 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Lopers are 11-23 overall and 8-16 in the RMAC.
Game 1
Tara Mickelson continued to crush the ball, going 2-for-3 with her 18th home run of the season, but the rest of the team combined for just six hits. Christie Robinson suffered the loss on the mound.
Metro State led 2-0 in the first with two unearned runs. Mickelson drove in the third run in the second inning with a single to the shortstop that scored Amber Roundtree.
UNK scored five runs on five hits in the fourth inning to take the lead. In the top of the sixth, Metro State tied the game at 5-5 as Mickelson drilled a two-run home run, scoring Kellie Nishikida, who had led off the inning with a single.
But the Lopers won the game in the bottom of the inning, taking a 7-5 lead on a two-run home run of their own by Austin Wilson, and held on in the top of the seventh.
Game 2
Metro State had 15 hits, just one shy of its season high of 16, but it was barely enough as the Roadrunners had to rally from an 8-3 deficit in the seventh inning. Sarah Rusch had three hits to lead the offense, while Kellie Nishikida, Tara Mickelson, Jennessa Tesone, Lauren Hainlen and Corrie Nishikida each had two hits. Hainlen and Amber Roundtree each drove in three runs.
Christie Robinson earned the win in relief.
The Roadrunners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an unearned run that scored on a two-out single to center by Rusch. But the Lopers led 4-1 going into the fourth inning. Metro State tried to inch its way back with one run in the fourth as Danni Hedstrom scored on a sacrifice fly by Rountree.
But again Nebraska-Kearney had an answer, as Sara Dunn blasted her second home run of the game, a two-run shot to put UNK ahead 6-2 and chase starter Brittany Moss from the game.
Metro State scored another in the fifth as Mickelson came home on Hainlen's sacrifice fly, but again UNK added two in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-3 lead.
That score remained until Kellie Nishikida led off the top of the seventh with a home run that started a string of seven straight Roadrunner batters reaching. Mickelson, Rusch and Tesone followed with singles to load the bases. Hainlen then ripped a two-run single to left-center, cutting the Lopers' lead to 8-6. After Hedstrom walked against reliever Ashley Guyle, Corrie Nishikida hit a two-run double to tie the game at 8-8. After a fly out for the first out of the inning, Roundtree connected on another two-run double to center to score Hedstrom and Nishikida and give Metro State a 10-8 lead.
The Lopers kept Metro State on its toes in the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff home run by Laura Gormley. But Robinson struck out the next three batters to end the game.
Metro State will host Chadron State for a four-game series beginning on Saturday, with a chance to clinch the RMAC regular season championship. The Roadrunner currently hold a one-game lead over Colorado Mines.
