Denver — The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team split a doubleheader with No. 4 Colorado Mesa on Monday afternoon at The Regency Athletic Complex.  The Roadrunners move to 15-22 overall and 11-16 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) while Colorado Mesa is 38-8 overall and 28-5 in the RMAC.

MSU Denver lost the first game 7-2.  Sophomore Julian Garcia (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) took the loss for the Roadrunners after pitching six innings and allowing five runs, two earned.  Colorado Mesa was able to build a 7-0 lead scoring two runs in the third inning, two in the fourth inning, one in the sixth inning and two more in the eighth inning.  The Roadrunners broke onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Senior Nick Comito (Lakewood, Colo./Mullen H.S.) was able to drive in senior Alex Walker (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Wheat Ridge H.S.).  The Roadrunners added another run when senior Jeff Levett (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) drove in Comito.  There would be no more scoring in the game and MSU Denver would fall.

The second game saw junior Ryan Baca (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) pitch the seven-inning, complete game to pick up the 5-1 win.  Baca gave up ten hits in the game, but allowed only one run.  The lone run came in the seventh inning on a solo home run.  The Roadrunners found their offense by way of the home run in the game.  Junior Nick McCaskey crushed a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth inning to get the scoring started.  In the bottom of the sixth inning, Sophomore Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) hit a three-run home run to put the Roadrunners up 5-0.  Colorado Mesa was able to put up a single run in the seventh, but it would not be enough as MSU Denver came away with the 5-1 victory.

MSU Denver will return to action on May 6-8 when they will travel to Colorado Christian for a three-game series.  First pitch on Friday, May 6 is slated for 6 p.m. in Lakewood, Colo.