Denver- The Metropolitan State University of Denver baseball team defeated University of Sioux Falls 5-2 on Friday in the first game of the three game series. The Roadrunners improved to 2-4 overall while the Cougars dropped to 0-1. 
 
Senior Sean Kennedy (Aurora, Colo./Grandview High School) kicked off the game for the Roadrunners with a leadoff homer to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. 
 
The next run in the game would come when the Cougars lead off with a triple down the right line in the top of the third. The following batter for Sioux Falls would send the runner home to tie the game up at 1. 
 
With two outs in the third, senior pitcher Javi Vega (Chula Vista, Calif./Castle Park H.S.) threw a pick off to earn the third out of the top of the third, getting out of the third with the score knotted up at 1. 
 
MSU Denver started the bottom of the fourth strong, loading the bases with no outs. An RBI from junior Draven Adame (Lamar, Colo. /Lamar High School) would score one run for the Roadrunners, but the Cougars we able to hold MSU Denver to the solo run in the inning. 
 
The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Roadrunners through the sixth inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning,  Adame lead off the inning for the Roadrunners reaching base on a single. Junior Jake Kistaitis (Omaha, Nebraska/ Millard West High School) was then hit by a pitch to reach base. A sac bunt from freshman Jimmy Hollinger would advance the runners to second and third followed by a wild pitch to score Adame for the first run of the inning. Freshman pinch runner, Eric Cox (Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail High School) scored off a single from Kennedy to extend the lead to 4-1. 
 
Both teams exchanged runs in the eighth but the Roadrunners would run away with the 5-2 win.  Vega earned his second win of the season and senior Trent Maloney (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) earned his first save of the season.
 
The Roadrunners will take on the Cougars on Saturday in the second game of the series at 12 noon.