Las Vegas, N.M. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team dropped their road series after splitting a doubleheader against New Mexico Highlands on Sunday, April 10. The Roadrunners lost the first game 9-8 in 11 innings and won the second game 7-6 in eight innings. MSU Denver is now 13-17 overall and 9-11 in the RMAC.

New Mexico Highlands was the first on the scoreboard in game one, after getting back-to-back RBI doubles off sophomore starter Javi Vega (Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park H.S.) in the 1st inning to go up 2-0. The struggles continued for Vega in the 2nd inning, allowing two Cowboy triples that resulted in NMHU going up 5-0 before being replaced after 1 2/3 innings by freshman Hunter Hogoboom (Arvada, Colo./Pomona H.S.). Hogoboom went on to throw 4 1/3 innings in relief without allowing a run.

In the 6th inning, MSU Denver came alive when junior Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) doubled down the left field line bringing home junior Andrew Paust (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.) making the score 5-2. After senior Nick Comito (Lakewood, Colo./Mullen H.S.) drew a walk to load the bases, junior Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) singled to center to cut the Cowboy lead to 5-3. The next batter, Alex Walker (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge H.S.), was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 5-4.  A Levett sacrifice fly then tied the game 5-5.

The Roadrunners took their first lead of the day in the top of the 7th off a Paust double scoring sophomore Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.). Bean's sac fly later brought in Paust to put MSU Denver up 7-5. The Roadrunners were one out away from victory in the bottom of the 9th but Highlands singled with a runner on third to send the game to extra innings in a 7-7 tie.

In the 11th, sophomore Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) doubled and later scored off a Cowboy error putting the Roadrunners up 8-7. Paust took to the mound for the bottom of the 11th but was unable to stop the Cowboys who scored two to win game one by a final of 9-8.

In game two, the Roadrunners got off to a hot start with a two run shot from Donaldson to go up 2-0. The Cowboys would battle back with two runs of their own in the first two innings to level the score at 2-2. In the third the Roadrunners would go deep again as Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) belted a three run home run to put MSU Denver up 5-2. Later in the inning, the Roadrunners added another run off an Aaron Germani (Littleton, Colo./ThunderRidge H.S.) sac fly to move ahead 6-2 to conclude the four-run 3rd. The Cowboys would respond with four runs of their own in the bottom of the 3rd inning off senior starter Cameron Stroup (Arvada, Colo./Arvada West H.S.) to even the score at 6-6.

The game would remain tied and go into extra innings. Junior Reilly Mau (Longmont, Colo./Longmont H.S.) proved to be the hero for the Roadrunners, doubling to left center to score Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) to put the Roadrunners up for good 7-6 in the eighth.

MSU Denver continues it's 11-game road trip next weekend as they travel to Alamosa, Colo. to play a four-game RMAC series against Adams State beginning on Friday, April 15.