DENVER, Colo. - The No. 13 Metro State softball team defeated Nebraska-Kearney 6-4 at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament at Auraria Field in Denver to advance to the second round of the tournament on Thursday. The Roadrunners will play Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday at 9:30 a.m. at Auraria Field.
Metro State improved to 37-10 overall, while UNK dropped to 15-27.
The Roadrunners recovered from a slow start to rally in the sixth inning for the win on Thursday. Metro State, that NCAA Division II's leader in home runs and fifth-ranked team in batting average, managed just two singles in the first three innings. Meanwhile, the Lopers took a 1-0 lead in the first as Kelsey Smith scored on the aid of two illegal pitches.
UNK led 2-0 in the third after a walk and three consecutive singles.
Metro State got things going in the bottom of the fourth as Lauren Hainlen and Corrie Nishikida hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2-2. Starter Christie Robinson escaped a sloppy defensive fifth inning unscathed as the first two batters of the inning for the Lopers reached on errors. But a two-run home run by No. 9 batter Hannah Liming put Nebraska-Kearney ahead 4-2 in the sixth inning.
Sarah Rusch led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to start a four-run rally. Jennessa Tesone followed with a game-tying home run to center field. Relief pitcher Kristie Hiatt walked the first batter she faced and then surrendered a double to right-center by Nishikida to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Hedstrom hit the next ball back to the mound, but Hiatt bobbled the soft grounder, allowing pinch runner Nicole Young to score from third. Jessica Haab then delivered a run-scoring single to left field to put Metro State ahead 6-4. Hiatt escaped the inning with no more damage, retiring the next three batters.
Robinson pitched a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh to give Metro State the win.
Roundtree and Nishikida each led the Roadrunners with two hits. Robinson earned the win, improving her record to 22-4 this season.
