Pueblo, Colo.- The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team defeated CSU-Pueblo 12-9 in an 11 inning thriller to split the four games series 2-2. The Roadrunners are now 6-8 overall and 2-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Thunderwolves are 8-10 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
 
MSU kicked off the game in the top of the first inning with two hits from senior Jake Ekman (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) and junior Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.). But the Roadrunners were unable to earn a run in the first. Senior Tony Yacovetta (/George Washington H.S.) started at pitcher in the bottom of the first for the Roadrunners in which the Thunderwolves were able to take the lead going into the second inning 1-0.
 
The Roadrunners were held scoreless through the second and third inning and the Thunderwolves earned one more run in the bottom of the third to take the lead 2-0.
 
The top of the fourth opened up the scoring for the Roadrunners. Sophomore Adam Tulley (Allenspark, Colo./Estes Park High School) started off the inning earning a walk. Senior Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) followed by hitting a single to left field where Tulley scored on a Thunderwolves error. The next runs came from a single up the middle from junior Donny Ortiz Jr., scoring senior Derek Stimpson (Colorado Springs/Doherty H.S.) and Bean to put the Roadrunners up 3-2 going into the fifth inning.
 
Both teams matched each others runs in the fifth with CSU-Pueblo earning two and MSU Denver scoring two runs. O'Donnell lead off the top of the fifth inning hitting one out of the park. Ortiz Jr. earned his second RBI of the game, scoring Tulley and keeping the Roadrunners lead 5-3. However, the Thunderwolves answered back in the bottom of the fifth inning evening up the score at five.
 
CSU-Pueblo was able to take the lead from the Roadrunners through to the eighth inning scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth and eighth inning. The Roadrunners were held scoreless through all three innings and the Thunderwolves led 7-5 going into the ninth inning.
 
The ninth inning proved to be an exciting one with the Roadrunners fighting for the comeback. Tulley opened up the scoring in the ninth, scoring on a wild pitch. Ekman took the lead for the Roadrunners hitting a 2 RBI double to right field to send sophomore Aaron Germani (Littleton, Colo./ThunderRidge H.S.) and junior Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) home to take the lead 8-7 going into the bottom of the ninth inning.
 
MSU Denver nearly had the win, however the Thunderwolves were able to tie the game at 8 scoring with two outs in the bottom of the ninth sending the game into extra innings.
 
The Roadrunners put a run on the board with Tulley hitting a single to left field for a single RBI, scoring O'Donnell. But the Thunderwolves were able to answer back in the 10^th tying the game at 9.

The 11^th inning belonged to the Roadrunners as O'Donnell hit his second homer of the game with one runner on base taking the lead for the Roadrunners 11-9. Junior Sean Kennedy (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School) followed up hitting a double to right field. Tulley then singled to right center to send Kennedy home for the final run of the game.
 
The Roadrunners held the Thunderwolves scoreless through the bottom of the 11^th to earn the win 12-9.
 
The Roadrunners will return home to take on New Mexico Highlands with the first game of the series taking place on Friday, March 10 at 3 p.m.