DENVER - Metropolitan State University of Denver scored five runs in the top of the seventh to force extra innings and win 7-6 in Game 1 at Regis University on Saturday, though the Rangers came back with a walk-off 3-2 win in Game 2. MSU Denver is now 11-13 overall and 6-9 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while the Rangers are 11-16 and 6-11.
The Roadrunners trailed 6-1 after six innings in the seven-inning first game, but pulled together a five-run rally in the top of the inning. With one out and the bases loaded,
Mitch Gibbons (Franktown, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.) singled to left to bring home
Alex Walker (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge H.S.) for the first run of the inning.
Darryl Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) then reached on a fielder's choice to bring in another run and a second run scored on the play after a throwing error allowed another to come home, trimming the deficit to 6-4.
Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) kept things going with another RBI single and
Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) finally brought in the tying run with a base hit up the middle.
Meanwhile, reliever
Ryan Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) was in the middle of throwing five shutout innings to hold the Rangers at six runs. He picked up the win after
Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the eighth to force in
Zachary Hahn (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) for the winning run.
Josh Moore (Grand Junction, Colo./Grand Junction H.S.) pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth to earn the save.
Julian Garcia (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) struck out a career-high 10 batters in Game 2, but was the victim of an equally strong outing by the Rangers' Matt Heibult, who also struck out 10 in a complete game. Garcia gave up two runs (one earned) in six innings.
Things started well in Game 2 as MSU Denver scored twice in the top of the first on a two-run single by
Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.). But that was it as the Roadrunners had just two hits the rest of the game.
Moore came on in relief again in the bottom of the seventh and suffered the loss after allowing a leadoff single.
The two teams will play a nine-inning game at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
