Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Mary Towner (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Metro State won its third Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament championship on Saturday, defeating Fort Lewis 2-1 in the championship game. The Roadrunners reached the finals after beating UC-Colorado Springs 9-7 and Fort Lewis 13-5 (5 innings) earlier in the day. They earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with the championship.

Metro State advanced through the loser's bracket after falling to FLC in the second round. The Roadrunners won two games after that loss on Friday and then had to defeat the Skyhawks twice on Saturday after their win over UCCS. Metro State also won the RMAC tournament in 2009 and 2010 after starting its softball program in 2008.

The championship game was a pitcher's duel as Aubree Maul (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) allowed just one run in 6.1 innings and struck out three. Cassidy Smith (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) came on in relief to earn the win, blanking FLC in 1.2 innings. She stranded the bases loaded in both the seventh and eighth innings after the Skyhawks put two of their runners on in the eighth with errors.

Towner's blast to left field came on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. It was the first walk-off win for Metro State this season and the first since Amanda Taney (Conifer, Colo./Conifer H.S.)'s home run beat Western New Mexico on March 30 last season.

The Roadrunners had an opportunity early in the eighth inning as Dani Sandel (Omaha, Neb./Westside H.S.) led off with a single. But she was quickly erased after being called out for leaving the base early on a stolen base attempt.

Towner finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in both runs, singling home Britney Thomas (Cheyenne, Wyo./East H.S.) in the bottom of the first for the only other run in the game for Metro State.

Colissa Bakovich (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) kept the Skyhawks off the board in the top of the fifth inning with a diving catch in centerfield to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

Fort Lewis eventually tied it up in the sixth with a leadoff home run by Myndee Thompson.

Against UCCS, Metro State led 9-2 before the Mountain Lions scored five times in the bottom of the sixth. Chelsea Brew (Colorado Springs/Rampart H.S.) went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in and a home run. Sandel and Kelsey Tillery (Windsor, Colo./Windsor H.S.) each had two hits. Maul picked up the save, pitching 1.2 shutout innings after UCCS caught up to Smith in the sixth.

Smith was outstanding in the first game against Fort Lewis, allowing just a two-run home run. The offense provided plenty of support with 17 hits. Britney Thomas (Cheyenne, Wyo./East H.S.) and Kaylynn Harmon (Erie, Colo./Erie H.S.) each went 3-for-4 at the plate. Harmon and Towner each homered in a six-run fifth inning.

Metro State will find out its NCAA tournament opponent on NCAA.com on Monday at 8 a.m.

Bakovich was named RMAC tournament most valuable player. She finished the tournament with a team-high .474 batting average and six runs scored and five RBIs. Smith, Tillery and Towner were also named to the all-tournament team.