St. George, Utah- The Metropolitan State University of Denver softball team split its first ay at the Easton Classic on Thursday, February 8.  The Roadrunners defeated Western New Mexico In their first game 5-2 and fell to Dixie State 13-5 in game two of the day.
 
The first inning went fast for both sides with the first three batters on each side being held hitless. 
 
The Roadrunners were the first to make it on the board when senior Kristyn Peters (Lakewood, CO/Dakota Ridge) hit on out of the park in the bottom of the second.
 
The Roadrunners held a 1-0 through the third inning and made were the next to score in the bottom of the fourth.  Senior Sarena Espinoza (Corona, Calif./Corona Centennial H.S.) led off the inning reaching base on a throwing error.  Senior Annika Anderson (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) then following hitting a single up the middle.  The bases would be loaded for the Roadrunners when Jasmine Wessel (Thornton, CO/Horizon High School) also reached base on a throwing error.  Peters would then hit a single to earn an RBI to score the second run for her team.
 
The Mustangs cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth hitting a home run.  However, the Roadrunners would hold them to that lone run in the inning.
 
Western New Mexico would go on to tie the game up at two in the top of the sixth after holding the Roadrunners hitless in the bottom of the fifth inning.  
 
Peters came out big again for the Roadrunners in the sixth hitting a three run homer to score Anderson and Espinoza and take a 5-2 lead over the Mustangs.
 
The Roadrunners were able to hold the Mustangs in the top of the seventh to take the 5-2 win to start the tournament.
 
In the second game of the day, MSU Denver faced the host school, Dixie State.  The Trailblazers jumped out on top of the Roadrunners early scoring four runs in the first inning, one run in the second, and four more runs in the third inning.  MSU Denver trailed 9-0 heading into the top of the fifth inning.
 
The Roadrunners would get on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning.  Freshman Koryna Wright (Rancho Cucamonga, CA/Rancho Cucamonga High School) was struck by a pitch and then advanced to second after a wild pitch.  Junior Ashlee Kim (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County H.S.) hit a single to put runners on the corners for the Roadrunners.  Another wild pitch would allow Wright to score and move Kim to second for the first MSU Denver run of the game.  Later in the inning with runners on second and third, senior Annika Anderson (Loveland, Colo./Loveland H.S.) hit a sacrifice fly to score a run making the score 9-2 in favor of the Trailblazers. Junior Jasmine Wessel (Thornton, CO/Horizon High School) followed Anderson in the lineup and hit a single to drive in another run.  Sophomore Alyssa Richter (Thornton, Colo./Mountain Range H.S.) knocked a double into right-center field to score two the final two runs of the inning for the Roadrunners making it 9-5.
Unfortunately for MSU Denver, Dixie State would score four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game with a score of 13-5.
 
MSU Denver will play next in day two of the Easton Classic on Friday, February 9 in St. George, Utah.  The Roadrunners will face Montana State Billings at 12:30 p.m. and Concordia (Calif.) at 5:30 p.m.