Grand Junction, Colo. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team earned an opening round victory over CSU-Pueblo 12-11 in the bottom of the tenth inning at the RMAC Tournament on Wednesday.

The Roadrunners had multiple players with outstanding offensive performances.  Jake Ekman (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge H.S.) racked up two home runs, one a grand slam, en route to a five RBI day.  Jake Thurston (Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.) went 2-for-4 in the game and scored three runs.  Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) went 3-for-5 in the game with two runs scored and another batted in.  Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) went 2-for-6 driving in two runs, including the game winner.

MSU Denver starting pitcher Javi Vega (Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park H.S.) made quick work of the Thunderwolves in the first two innings striking out two and allowing only one hit.  CSU-Pueblo scored three runs in the top of the third inning on five hits and an error.  The Roadrunners would get out of the inning after turning a double-play.

The Roadrunners responded in the bottom of the third inning with a run of their own.  Thurston and Ekman both walked to start the inning.  After a fly ball advanced the runners and tallied the first out, O'Donnell hit a sacrifice fly to put the first run on the board for MSU Denver.  The Roadrunners trailed 3-1 after three innings.

In the top of the fourth inning, CSU-Pueblo added three more runs.  All of the runs would come with two outs on the scoreboard.  Arron Gjersee would come on to pitch in relief of Vega to pick up the final out of the inning.  The Roadrunners trailed 6-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning.

MSU Denver's offense exploded in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Donaldson reached base on a walk and then advanced to second on a wild pitch before Nick McCasky (Golden, Colo./Ralston Valley H.S.) doubled to drive in a run.  The next two batters would reach base before Ekman would come to the plate and hit a grand slam to tie the game at 6-6.  The Roadrunners would bat around in the inning and the bases would be loaded again for McCasky's second at bat of the inning.  McCasky walked to bring home the go-ahead run and give MSU Denver a 7-6 lead after four innings.

CSU-Pueblo would retake the lead after scoring one run in the top of the fifth inning and another in the top of the sixth inning.  MSU Denver put up two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to once again go back on top 9-8.

After holding the Thunderwolves scoreless in the top of the seventh inning, Ekman led off the bottom of the inning with a solo-homerun.  Despite being able to load the bases, MSU Denver would not be able to plate another runner in the inning.

Jared Roley (Littleton, Colo./Heritage H.S.) walked the first batter in the top of the eighth before striking out the second and then drawing a groundball to turn a double-play.  MSU Denver once again loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) was hit by a pitch to give the Roadrunners a 11-8 lead entering the top of the ninth inning.

O'Donnell would enter the game on the mound for the Roadrunners in the top of the ninth inning.  He gave up a three-run homerun that would tie the game at 11-11.  The game would go on to extra innings.

In the bottom of the tenth inning, MSU Denver would execute perfect offense.  Thurston reached on a single to the third baseman.  Ekman laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Thurston to second and put him in scoring position.  After an intentional walk of Maloney, O'Donnell drove a ball down the right field line to give MSU Denver the 12-11 victory.

The Roadrunners will face the winner of the game between Colorado School of Mines and UCCS at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 11 in Grand Junction.