Denver- The Metropolitan State University of Denver's baseball team kicked off its 2017 season against Nebraska Kearney in which the Roadrunners defeated the Lopers in the first game 15-10 and fell in the second game 6-3.
 
Senior Derek Stimpson (Colorado Springs/Doherty H.S.) kicked off the 2017 starting on the mound for the Roadrunners and holding the Lopers to a scoreless first inning with no hits. MSU Denver was quick to get the first inning going starting with Senior Jake Ekman (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) hitting a double on his first at bat. Junior Cale O'Donell was able to bring Ekman home, followed by a two RBI double from Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) to put the Roadrunners up 3-0 going into the second inning.
 
The windy conditions would prove to be a factor for both teams and played a part in an exciting second inning for both sides. The Lopers got on the board after a three run homer from Kirk McLeod. However, the Roadrunners answered back in the bottom of the second scoring four runs.
 
Dallas Schramm scored a home run to give the Lopers their only run in the third. In the bottom of the third the Roadrunners freshman Dylan Nelson (Lakewood, Colo./D'Evelyn Jr/Sr High School) and sophomore Adam Tulley (Allenspark, Colo./Estes Park High School) scored back to back home runs to put the Roadrunners up 9-4 heading into the fourth.
 
The fourth inning came with one run scored from Nebraska Kearney, while the Lopers kept the Roadrunners scoreless with one hit.
 
Sophomore Aaron Gjersee took the mound in the fifth inning for the Roadrunners and strong defense from Senior Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) allowed the Roadrunners to hold the Lopers to a scoreless fifth after making two back to back outs for the second and third out of the inning. The first coming from charging a soft ground ball and throwing to first for an out. For the third out, Thurston dove into the hole and would jump to his feet to throw the out and bring the game into the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Roadrunners put two on the board in the fifth with Ekman adding another RBI as well as junior Sean Kennedy (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School) to put the Roadrunners up 11-5.
 
The Lopers were able to answer back in the sixth, scoring four runs after a three run homer scored by Pate Katechis. Senior Jordan Smith (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) pitched for the Roadrunners starting with two outs in the sixth.  MSU Denver was held to a scoreless sixth inning with the score 11-9 in the Roadrunners favor.
 
After a scoreless seventh inning for both sides, the Roadrunners had the edge in the eighth scoring four and holding the Lopers to one. Senior Josh Moore (Grand Junction, Colo./Grand Junction H.S.) took the mound in the eighth with zero outs and two on base, and allowed the one Loper run.
 
Donaldson sent Kennedy home on a sac fly to give the Roadrunners their first run of the inning. Bean followed by hitting a double to bring O'Donnell home. The inning was topped off with Nelson hitting his second home run of the game, brining the game into the ninth inning with a score of 15-10 in favor of the Roadrunners.
 
Senior Tony Yacovetta (/George Washington H.S.) took the mound in the ninth inning for the Roadrunners and was able to close out the inning with no runs and one hit in the inning. MSU Denver gained its first win of the season 15-10.
 
In the second game of the double header junior Javi Vega (Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park H.S.) started at pitcher for the Roadrunners. In the first inning MSU Denver gave up four hits and two runs to Nebraska Kearney.
 
The Roadrunners got on the board in the third after a sac bunt from Thurston advanced runners to second and third. Junior Donny Ortiz Jr. was then able to sac fly to send Nelson in to score and make the score 2-1 going into the fourth.
 
The Lopers scored two runs in the fifth after an RBI from Schramm and a Loper sac fly with bases loaded, ending the inning 4-1 in favor of Nebraska Kearney.
 
Sophomore Conner Pepin (Brighton, Colo./Brighton H.S.) started pitching in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Roadrunners in which MSU Denver allowed two more runs extending the Loper lead to 6-1. Sophomore Dayne Rowley (Durango, Colo./Durango H.S.) entered the game at pitcher to end the sixth.
 
The Roadrunners made a run to comeback in the seventh inning with Kennedy hitting a two run double. However, it would not be enough for MSU Denver and Nebraska Kearney would gain the win 6-3.
 
The Roadrunners will return to action tomorrow Sunday, February 4 for a double header against Nebraska Kearney with the first game starting at 12 noon.