DENVER, Colo. - Brittany Moss tossed a no-hitter in game two of a doubleheader with Chadron State, leading Metro State to the regular season Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship on Sunday at Auraria Field in Denver. Metro State lost game one 4-2, but came back with a 10-0, six-inning win in game two. The Roadrunners finished the regular season 36-10 overall and 29-7 in the RMAC. The Eagles finished the season 20-30 overall and 13-21 in the RMAC.
Metro State will now host the RMAC Tournament beginning on Thursday at Auraria Field and Hidden Lakes Park. Game times and opponents will be announced later on Sunday evening.
Game 1
Just like on Saturday, it was a pitcher's duel early on in the game between each team's ace. Chadron State took a 1-0 lead in the third after a one-out double by Katie Bolin. She scored one batter later on a single by Allison Hendricksen.
CSC's starter Casey Williams allowed a leadoff home run in the fourth inning by Tara Mickelson to tie the game at 1-1. Metro State took the lead in the fifth as Sarah Rusch ripped a two-out single to left, scoring Amber Roundtree.
Roadrunner starter Christie Robinson ran into trouble in the seventh. After allowing a bloop single to left and a bunt single to start the inning, Cassie Humphrey advanced pinch runner Andrea Wyman and Lynette Ebert to second and third. Bolin then drilled the first pitch she saw over the center field wall to put CSC ahead 4-2.
Metro State nearly mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. Roundtree and Kellie Nishikida led off with back-to-back singles. Mickelson then hit a ground ball to short, but Roundtree was called for interference on her way to third base on a controversial play that would have loaded the bases, leaving Mickelson and Nishikida on first and second with one out following the umpire's ruling. Williams was then able to get a strikeout and a fielder's choice to end the game.
Roundtree, Mickelson and Lauren Hainlen each had two hits to lead the team.
Robinson suffered the loss despite striking out six, as she dropped to 21-4 this season.
Game 2
Brittany Moss threw the seventh no-hitter in Metro State history in game two, striking out six while throwing all six innings. She walked just one batter. It was the first no-hitter in Metro State's recent history; the school is in its second year of softball since the program was dropped after the 1990 season. The last no-hitter was a three-inning no-hitter on April 18, 1990 by Kim Krol in a 31-0 win over Colorado Mines.
The Roadrunners ended the game in dramatic fashion as Sarah Rusch blasted a walk-off grand slam to end the game due to the mercy rule. For Rusch, it was her 16th home run of the season. Mickelson also hit her 22nd of the season as she ranks among the NCAA Division II top-five in home runs.
Rusch led the team offensively with three hits and five runs batted in. Amber Roundtree and Tara Mickelson each had two hits.
Moss pitched around a one-out walk in the first, striking out the final two batters of the inning. Roundtree led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. After two ground outs advanced Roundtree to third, Rusch came through with a base hit to put Metro State in front 1-0.
Moss got a fly out to right to start the second inning, but Stephanie Hillman reach on an error on a dropped fly ball to put a runner on with one out. Erica Colbert then nearly put the Eagles in front, but Jennessa Tesone robbed Colbert of a home run, crashing through the portable fence in left field for the second out. Moss got a fielder's choice to end the inning.
The Roadrunners batted around in the third inning, scoring five runs to take a 6-0 lead. Roundtree led off with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Kellie Nishikida. Mickelson then drilled a three-run home run to center, putting Metro State ahead 4-0 with nobody out in the bottom of the third. After Rusch fouled out down the left field line, Tesone kept the inning alive with a single to center. After Lauren Hainlen walked, Corrie Nishikida ripped a two-run double into the right-center field gap, scoring Tesone and Hainlen to give the Roadrunners a 6-0 lead.
Moss got stronger as the game went on, retiring 11 of the final 12 batters she faced as the only runner she allowed to reach was on an error in the fifth inning.
After Metro State went scoreless for two innings, the bats heated up again in the sixth. Jessica Haab and Roundtree got things started with consecutive singles to start the inning. After Kellie Nishikida advanced to runners to second and third with a ground out, Chadron State elected to intentionally walk Mickelson to bring up Rusch. The junior second baseman jumped on a 2-2 pitch and crushed a towering home run just inside the left field foul pole to end the game.
Metro State earned the top seed in the RMAC Tournament and will play at Auraria Field on Thursday. The game times and opponents will be announced.
