Box Score Denver- The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team defeated University of Sioux Falls 6-4 in game one of the three game series on Saturday, February 25. The Roadrunners improved to 3-5 overall and the Cougars fell to 0-4.
 
Junior Beecher Strube (Casper, WY/Kelly Walsh High School ) started on the mound for the Roadrunners to start the top of the first inning holding the Cougars hitless.
 
Senior Jake Ekman (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) got the Roadrunners going in the bottom of the first hitting a ground rule double to center field. Junior Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) followed up by hitting a double RBI to send Ekman home and take the lead 1-0. Two more Roadrunners made it on base after a hit by pitch walk loading the bases with two outs, however they were not able to capitalize ending the inning with 2 hits and one run.
 
The Cougars started off the top of the second inning hitting a triple to center field followed by a a hit to send one home and tie the game at 1 going into the bottom of the second inning.
 
The Roadrunners left three on base with one hit in the bottom of the second for a scoreless inning.
 
The score remained tied at one through the third inning.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth junior Donny Ortiz Junior hit a single to center field followed up by a double from Ekman for his second of the day. Donaldson was walked, making the bases loaded for the Roadrunners. Junior Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) followed hitting a bomb to center field sending all three Roadrunners home for the Roadrunners to take the lead 4-1. The Scoring was rounded out after a single from junior Sean Kennedy (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School) sent O'Donnell home for a 5-1 edge for the Roadrunners.
 
The Cougars answered back in the top of the fifth after a single up the middle from Durkin would score two runners to cut the Roadrunners lead to 5-3 and held the Roadrunners scoreless through the bottom of the fifth.
 
Both teams were scoreless in the sixth. Senior Anthony Yacovetta entered the game at pitcher for MSU Denver in the top of the seventh holding Sioux Falls hitless in the inning.
 
Sioux Falls scored one run in the top of the eighth inning to cut the MSU Denver lead to 5-4.
 
O'Donnell made it on base in the top of the eighth after being hit by a pitch. Kennedy followed by hitting a strong double to center scoring O'Donnell and extending the lead to 6-4 going into the top of the ninth.
 
MSU Denver was able to keep the Cougars scoreless in the ninth and gain the win 6-4.