DENVER – The Metropolitan State University of Denver softball team split a doubleheader against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe CSU-Pueblo on Saturday, winning game one by a 5-0 count before losing 7-3 in the second game.
MSU Denver (12-18, 8-8 RMAC) sprinkled some offense into a complete game gem from junior starting pitcher
Darby McGhee (Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo) in game one, scoring at least one run in the third through sixth innings while McGhee mowed down the ThunderWolves for her second shutout of the season.
McGhee was nothing short of dominant, going the distance while giving up just four hits, walking one, and striking out 10 ThunderWolves. It was her second double-digit strikeout effort of the season, as she improved to 5-8 overall with a 2.88 ERA in 2019.
The Roadrunners played small ball to squeak out their first run in the bottom of the third.
Alyssa Richter (Thornton, Colo./Mountain Range) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Megan Sansburn (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge), who nearly squeaked out a base hit.
Ashlee Kim (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) then snuck a base hit through the right side to score Richter from second and give MSU Denver a 1-0 lead.
The Roadrunner offense picked up in the next inning as a rally started with a hit-by-pitch once again.
Koryna Wright (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) took one for the team and advanced to second on an infield single from
JJ Sheppard (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley).
Jasmine Wessel (Thornton, Colo./Horizon) promptly smoked a gapper to right-center to score Wright and Sheppard, making it 3-0 in favor of the Roadrunners.
McGhee helped herself in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a walk-steal combo from
Megan Sansburn (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge) with a single to left to drive her in. Then, in the sixth,
Alexus Spinks (Westminster, Colo./Pomona) stole second after pinch-running for
Jasmine Wessel (Thornton, Colo./Horizon), who singled. Sansburn drove in Spinks with an RBI double, extending the MSU Denver advantage to 5-0.
The Roadrunners grinded out seven hits in the first game while limiting CSU-Pueblo (5-15, 4-12 RMAC) to four. CSU-Pueblo pitcher Taylor Strupp took the loss.
MSU Denver's momentum carried into game two, as Wessel doubled in McGhee and
Laney Sheppard (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley) in the first inning. The lead expanded to 3-0 on an RBI single from
Rebecca Gonzales (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) in the second.
Starting pitcher
Julia Heitz (Queen Creek, Ariz./Queen Creek) kept the ThunderWolves at bay through five innings. Heitz allowed two runs on a homer and RBI double in the third, but surrendered just four hits total while walking one and striking out two. She gave up a leadoff double in the sixth before exiting, but that run eventually scored and was charged to Heitz.
Kylee Burnside (Idaho Falls, Idaho/Skyline) encountered tough luck in the final two frames, giving up two unearned runs in the sixth and two more runs in the seventh as the MSU Denver offense fell silent. The final result was a 7-3 CSU-Pueblo victory. Hannah Anderson got the win for the ThunderWolves, while Strupp earned the save.
Gonzales went 3-for-4 in the loss, while
JJ Sheppard (Fountain Valley, Calif./Fountain Valley) was 2-for-3 as the Roadrunners registered nine hits.
The same two teams are at it again tomorrow for a doubleheader. First pitch for game one is set for 11 a.m. MT at the Regency Athletic Complex.
