Box Score

DENVER, Colo. - The No. 8 Metro State softball team opened a four-game weekend against Fort Lewis with a convincing 9-3 victory on Saturday at home.  The Roadrunners improved to 18-2 overall and 15-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while FLC fell to 11-10 overall and 10-6 in the RMAC.

Christie Robinson (Clinton, Wash./South Whidbey H.S.) was solid as usual in the circle for Metro State, despite battling an illness all week.  The senior allowed just three runs in seven innings and did not walk a batter, while fanning five.  She threw 75 strikes out of 95 total pitches.

The Roadrunners opened the scoring in the second with four runs with two outs.  Jennessa Tesone (Longmont, Colo./Niwot H.S.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a single by Jessica Haab (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek H.S.).  They advanced to second and third following a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Hainlen (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.).  After a pop out to short, Amber Roundtree (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) walked to load the bases.  Kellie Nishikida (Pearl City, Hawaii/Pearl City H.S.) then beat out an infield hit to the shortstop, driving in Tesone, and Haab scored as the throw to first got past the first baseman.  Sarah Rusch (Westminster, Colo./Standley Lake H.S.) then ripped a two-run single down the left field line to make the score 4-0.

Danni Hedstrom (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins H.S.) stretched the lead to 5-0 in the fourth when she scored on a wild pitch.

The Skyhawks finally tagged Robinson in the fifth.  A nifty 3-6-3 double play erased a leadoff single by Brooke Bails.  But FLC strung together four straight two-out hits, highlighted by a two-run double by Chelena Coulston, to cut the lead to 5-3.

Metro State opened the game up in the bottom of the sixth with four more runs.  Haab hit a solo home run to right field with one out.  But a dropped fly ball by the right fielder started a big inning for Metro State.  With two outs, Roundtree singled home pinch runner Jesse Minch (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) and Tara Mickelson (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge H.S.) later came through with a bases loaded two-run single through the left side to make the final score of 9-3.

Robinson retired the final three batters of the seventh on fielder's choices--two on comebackers to Robinson--after she made an error to start the inning.

Roundtree led the offense with three hits and Rusch and Haab each added a pair as the Roadrunners collected nine hits on the afternoon.

The two teams will battle it out three times on Sunday, playing a tripleheader at Metro State beginning at 10 a.m.