DENVER - Redshirt freshman Julian Garcia (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his first career appearance and led Metropolitan State University of Denver to a 6-2 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. The Roadrunners improved to 2-1 this season, while UNK fell to 1-2 after the season-opening series at The Regency Athletic Complex at MSU Denver.

Garcia retired the first 11 batters he faced and struck out four and allowed just two hits in seven innings. After a leadoff walk in the seventh, Dallas Schramm hit a double to left-center for the first hit of the day for the Lopers. Reliever Kris Lalk (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain H.S.) pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to close out the victory.

The Roadrunners pushed the first two runs of the game across in the fourth. Jeff Levett (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) and Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) started the inning off with singles and both scored on a two-out base hit up the middle by Chris Spirek (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.).

In the fifth inning, Darryl Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) scored on a single by Levett, stretching the lead to 3-0.

That lead doubled in the sixth inning as the Roadrunners scored three more times. After a pair of walks opened the frame, Mitch Gibbons (Franktown, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.) lined a two-run single to center with one out. He later scored on a double by Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.).

Baca finished with three of the team's 12 hits. Gibbons, Levett and Maloney each had two.

MSU Denver will be back in action on Friday at No. 6 Emporia State (Kan.).