Grand Junction, Colo. – The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team lost to Colorado School of Mines 6-5 on Thursday on the second day of the RMAC Tournament.

MSU Denver was able to put two runners on base in the top of the first inning with back-to-back singles by Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) and Cale O'Donnell (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.).  The Roadrunners would not be able to plate any runs, however, and strand the pair on base.

The Roadrunners would be retired in order in the top of the second inning.  In the top of the third inning, Aaron Germani (Littleton, Colo./ThunderRidge H.S.) drew a lead-off walk.  MSU Denver's next three batters popped up in foul territory, struck out, and flied out to left field, leaving another runner on base.

On the mound for the Roadrunners was Derek Stimpson (Colorado Springs/Doherty H.S.).  Stimpson allowed the first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning.  After recording the first two outs of the inning, the Orediggers reached base on a walk.  The runner advanced to second base on a wild pitch and then scored on a triple that was hit well to the left-centerfield gap.  The Roadrunners trailed 1-0 after three innings.

After MSU Denver was shutout in the top of the fourth inning, Colorado Mesa would load the bases in the bottom half of the inning.  Stimpson battled back striking out the next two batters and getting the third to hit a shallow pop fly to the shortstop.

In the top of the fifth inning, Germani would reach base for the second time in the game after an error by the Oredigger shortstop.  The Roadrunners would be unable to advance him any further and MSU Denver trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning.

After shutting out Colorado Mines in the top of the fifth inning, MSU Denver finally broke through on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning.  The Roadrunners were able to load the bases with two singles by Donny Ortiz and O'Donnell as well as a walk by Sean Kennedy (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School).  Hunter Donaldson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fossil Ridge H.S.) ripped a single up the middle to drive in two runs and give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead.

The Orediggers answered the Roadrunners in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Colorado Mines plated two in the inning to retake the lead 3-2.

Thurston tied the game at 3-3 with a solo homerun, his sixth of the season, in the top of the seventh inning.

Jerome Bohannon entered the game on the mound for MSU Denver in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Colorado Mines would hit a three-run homerun in the inning to take a 6-3 lead.

It the top of the eighth inning, MSU Denver loaded the bases on two walks and a single to left field.  Germani drove a ball to left field that scored two runs, cutting the Oredigger lead to 6-5.

Dayne Rowley (Durango, Colo./Durango H.S.) took to the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Rowley was efficient in the inning, retiring the Orediggers on only seven pitches.

MSU Denver would be able to get the tying run on in the top of the ninth inning.  After two outs to start the inning, a throwing error by the shortstop allowed O'Donnell to reach first base.  Marcus Bean (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain H.S.) hit a shot high off of the left field fence and O'Donnell would be thrown out at third base to end the game.

The Roadrunners will return to action on Friday, May 12 to face Regis in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. in Grand Junction.