Grand Junction, Colo. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver softball team defeated CSU-Pueblo 4-1 to win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament title and earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.  The Roadrunners move to 35-17 on the season.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning.  Junior Colissa Bakovich (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) doubled down the left field line as the lead-off batter.  Junior Cassidy Smith (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) flied out before Sophomore Sarena Espinoza (Corona, Calif./Corona Centennial H.S.) hit a double to left-center field that would score Bakovich.  The next batter, sophomore Annika Anderson (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.), doubled to right-center field.  Espinoza was only able to advance to third base on the Anderson double.  Sophomore Kristyn Peters (Lakewood, CO/Dakota Ridge) singled to right-center field scoring both Espinoza and Anderson.  The Roadrunners would hold a 3-0 lead after three innings.

MSU Denver added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning.  Anderson reached on a single and then advanced to second on a Peters single.  Junior Brooke Lovas (Chino Hills, Calif./Chino Hills H.S.) hit a single up the middle to the pitcher that would score Anderson.  After five innings, MSU Denver led 4-0.

CSU-Pueblo was able to score a run in the top of the sixth to cut the Roadrunners lead to 4-1.  CSU-Pueblo loaded the bases before MSU Denver was able to record the final out of the inning.  CSU-Pueblo was unable to complete the comeback and MSU Denver was victorious 4-1.

Smith earned the win for the Roadrunners in the circle after pitching the complete game.  She allowed only one run on five hits in the contest.

Smith was name the RMAC Tournament MVP with Espinoza, Bakovich and Peters all earning recognition on the all-tournament team.

MSU Denver will advance to the NCAA Regional.  The selection show for the 2016 NCAA Tournament will air at 8 a.m. MT on NCAA.com on Monday, May 2.