DENVER – Metro State swept Colorado State-Pueblo at home on Saturday, winning 6-0 and 10-3 in Denver.  The Roadrunners improved to 12-6 overall and 7-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while CSUP fell to 5-10 and 4-6.

Game One
Julia Diehl (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) threw a three-hit shutout, escaping a jam in the first inning to cruise through the final six.

The Roadrunners took a 2-0 lead in the third. Molly Clark (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood H.S.) reached on catcher's interference to lead off and Jennessa Tesone (Longmont, Colo./Niwot H.S.) followed with a single. Julia Diehl (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) and Annalyse Garcia (Frederick, Colo./Frederick H.S.) later had RBI singles.

Metro State scored its other four runs in the fifth. Garcia delivered a two-run double against her former team to score pinch runner Sam Talmich (Colorado Springs/Rampart H.S.) and Aubree Maul (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.). Kelsey Tillery (Windsor, Colo./Windsor H.S.) later hit an RBI single and Clark hit a sacrifice fly.

Diehl did not walk a batter in the game and struck out three.

Game Two

Metro State got another strong pitching performance in game two, this time from Maul, who allowed just three runs in seven innings.

The Roadrunners scored two unearned runs in the third to take the early lead. Danni Hedstrom (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins H.S.) and Kasey Nichols (Springville, Calif./Porterville H.S.) each hit two-out RBI singles in the fifth to build the lead to 4-0.

CSU-Pueblo got on the board with three in the top of the sixth with four singles and a double.

Metro State answered with six in the bottom of the sixth. Maul had a two-run single, Hedstrom had an RBI double and Nichols hit a three-run home run to cap the inning.

Maul tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to end the game.

Hainlen, Hedstrom and Nichols each had two hits. Nichols also drove in four runs.

Both teams will meet again on Sunday for two games beginning at 11 a.m. at Metro State.