DENVER - Darryl Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) blasted a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and Mike Thill (Littleton, Colo./Columbine H.S.) struck out a career-high 10 batters in Game 2 to give Metropolitan State University of Denver a split with Nebraska-Kearney on Friday to open the season. The Roadrunners fell 5-3 in Game 1, but rallied for a 3-2 victory in Game 2 in the first-ever baseball games at The Regency Athletic Complex at MSU Denver.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) led off with a double and advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs, Baca belted a towering home run to left field on the first pitch he saw for a 3-2 lead.

Thill pitched all seven innings of the second game, striking out a career-high 10 batters and scattering four hits. The only runs he gave up came on a first-inning home run by Anthony Pacheco. Thill's 10 strikeouts were the most for a Roadrunner since Jake Draeger in 2011. He stranded the tying run on second base in the seventh with a strikeout and a lineout.

The offense started off rusty in Game 1, spoiling a strong outing from starter Nick Hammett (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield H.S.). The senior righthander allowed three runs in seven innings and struck out three.

But the Roadrunners did not come through with a hit in their new stadium until Reilly Mau (Longmont, Colo./Longmont H.S.) led off the sixth with a single up the middle. An error scored Baca in the seventh for the team's first run and pinch hitter Jeff Levett (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) drove in another run in the inning with a ground out to cut MSU Denver's deficit to 3-2.

After the Lopers scored twice in the top of the eighth, MSU Denver answered with one in the bottom half of the inning after a leadoff double by Nick Comito (Lakewood, Colo./Mullen H.S.).

The two teams will play one game on Saturday at 11 a.m.