Denver — The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team lost 12-5 and 6-5 to MSU-Billings in Saturday's doubleheader.  MSU Denver falls to 1-5 on the season and MSU-Billings improves to 5-3.

MSU Denver lost the first game of the doubleheader 12-5.  The Yellowjackets scored two runs in the first inning on junior Ryan Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.), who took the mound in his second start of the season.  The Roadrunners evened the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first off of doubles from sophomores Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) and Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.).

The Yellowjackets offense continued to hit well and MSU-Billings expanded the lead to 6-2.  Donaldson hit another double in the third inning, knocking in Maloney to cut the deficit to 6-3.  An error from MSU-Billings later in the third inning allowed Donaldson to score again to draw the Roadrunners close at 6-4.

MSU-Billings proceeded to string together timely hitting and expand upon the team's lead as the game wore on.

Maloney finished the game with three runs, two walks, an RBI, and two hits in two at-bats.  Donaldson finished the game with one run, three RBI's, and three hits in three at-bats.

MSU Denver lost the second game of the doubleheader 6-5.  Sophomore Javi Vega (Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park H.S.) earned the start for the Roadrunners.  Vega pitched six innings, giving up only one earned run posting an ERA of 1.38. 

The Yellowjackets went up early, scoring three unearned runs in the first.  The Roadrunners fired back scoring one run in the second inning and two in the third.  In the third inning, the first run came on a sacrifice fly from junior Reilly Mau (Longmont, Colo./Longmont H.S.), plating senior Jeff Levett (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.).  Junior Derek Stimpson (Colorado Springs/Doherty H.S.) smacked a single to score Maloney from third to put the score at 4-3.

MSU Denver scored two more runs in the fifth inning on two back-to-back solo home runs.  The first homer was a monster shot over the left field wall from junior Andrew Paust (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.), marking his second long-ball of the season.  The second homer of the inning came off the bat of Donaldson, putting the Roadrunners on top 5-4.

MSU-Billings evened the game at 5-5 in the top of the seventh inning, before scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth to seal a 6-5 victory.

Senior Nick Comito (Lakewood, Colo./Mullen H.S.) played stellar defense in the game, while also notching an RBI with two hits in four at-bats.

MSU Denver will play the final game of its four-game series against MSU-Billings Sunday at noon at the Regency Athletic Complex.