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DENVER, Colo. - Evan Claus (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado H.S.) lined a single off the left field wall with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to score David Kaplan (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty H.S.) and give Metro State a thrilling 7-6 victory at home against Mesa State.  The Roadrunners improved to 17-17 overall and 14-9 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Mavericks fell to 22-12 overall and 18-8 in the RMAC.

Claus is on fire as a pinch hitter.  In his previous two pinch hitting appearances he blasted home runs, one a walk-off against Colorado State-Pueblo on April 2.

Friday was a rollercoaster game for the two teams.  Mesa State took a 1-0 lead in the second after a leadoff double by Marty Cover.  The Roadrunners came back with three runs in the bottom of the third, putting together a two-out rally.  Maverick lefthander Scott Bachman got two strikeouts to start the inning, but walked Metro State's leadoff hitter, Chris Redding (Northglenn, Colo./Northglenn H.S.).  After a single by Zach Krueger (Holyoke, Colo./Holyoke H.S.), David Fox (Lakewood, Colo./Faith Christian H.S.) doubled to right field, scoring Redding to tie the game.  Jordan Stouffer (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) followed with a two-run single to right-center.

But Mesa State scored four runs in the top of the sixth, three of them unearned after a pair of errors by the Roadrunners and led 5-3.

Bradshaw Perry (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) reached on a one-out double down the left field line in the bottom of the sixth, but was stranded after a ground out and a strikeout.  Jacob Trimble (Danville, Ill./Schlarman H.S.) led off the seventh with a single and Redding walked with one out, but again Metro State left runners on.

The Roadrunners finally took advantage of their opportunities in the eighth.  Reliever Jack Amidei hit the first two batters he faced to open the inning and Stouffer and Perry advanced to third on a passed ball.  They each scored on groundouts by Kaplan and Cody Henry (Thornton, Colo./Legacy H.S.) as Metro State tied the game.

Metro State reliever Sean Walter (Wiggins, Colo./Wiggins H.S.) pitched around a one-out walk and a balk to hold MSC scoreless in the top of the ninth.  Redding hit a one-out double to left-center and reached third on a passed ball, but was left on base after a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around an intentional walk to Fox.

Walter walked the leadoff batter in the 10th and Austin Buck scored on a sacrifice fly to center with one out in the 10th on a close play as Buck slid in just ahead of Redding's strong, one-hop throw to the plate, as the Mavericks led 6-5.

But Perry would not let Metro State go home without a fight.  He led off the bottom of the 10th with a line drive home run just over the right field fence to tie the game.  After Kaplan walked, Mesa State got a pair of outs, but Kaplan was able to advance to second on a ground out by Jacob Trimble (Danville, Ill./Schlarman H.S.) to bring the winning run into scoring position.

Mesa State brought in lefthander T.J. Stastny to face left-handed hitter Mike Coffey (Highlands Ranch, Colo./ThunderRidge H.S.).  But Metro State head coach Tom Carcione played the percentages, bringing in Claus' right-handed bat to counter MSC's pitching move.  Carcione's decision paid off as Claus crushed the 1-0 pitch for a line drive off the left field wall to end the game.

Perry led Metro State with three hits at the plate.  Starter Ted Jamison (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain H.S.) allowed two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, but did not factor in the decision as the two errors in the sixth inning cost him a chance at a win.  Walter tossed four innings of relief and allowed just one hit and one run with two strikeouts.  Tony Weber (Elizabeth, Colo./Elizabeth H.S.) earned the win, throwing two pitches in the top of the 10th to close the inning with a fly out.

The two teams will square off for a doubleheader on Saturday at Metro State, beginning at noon.