Colo. Springs- The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team defeated UCCS in extra innings 16-14 on Friday, April 21.
 
The Roadrunners started out on fire in the top of the first inning with senior Jake Ekman (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) and junior Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) both reached base on a single followed by junior Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) hitting a three run homer to put the Roadrunners up 3-0 for his 11^th home run of the season.
 
The Mountain Lions answered in the bottom of the first inning matching the Roadrunners three run off four hits.
 
MSU Denver exploded in the second inning adding five runs to their score. Freshman Adam Tulley (Allenspark, Colo./Estes Park High School) led off the inning reaching base on a walk.  Senior Derek Stimpson (Colorado Springs/Doherty H.S.) then singled to right center. Junior Donny Ortiz Junior then hit a sacrifice bunt, but was able to reach base on a Mountain Lions error, sending Stimpson and Tulley home for two runs. Senior Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) continued the rally for the Roadrunners hitting a double to score Ortiz and put the Roadrunner up by three. Maloney topped off the inning for the Roadrunners hitting one out of the park to add two more runs putting the Roadrunners up 8-3 going into the bottom of the second.
 
UCCS scored two runs in the bottom of the second off a two-run home run to center field to cut the Roadrunners lead to 8-5.
 
With the third inning being scoreless for both teams, the rest of the game proved to be battle between both sides with seven runs being scored in the fourth. Four for the Roadrunners and three for the Roadrunners.
 
The Roadrunners had the edge in the fifth inning scoring two runs with junior Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) and Tulley earning an RBI, while holding the Mountain Lions scoreless.
 
The Mountain Lions out scored the Roadrunners through the last four innings to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth at 14 to send the game into extra innings.
 
The Roadrunners were able to take the game in extra innings, scoring two runs in the top of the tenth. Thurston and Ekman both earned single RBIs in the inning while the Roadrunners earned the road win in extra innings 16-14.
 
MSU Denver will continue its four game series with a double header against UCCS on Saturday, April 22 with the first game beginning at 12 noon.