COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – MSU Denver started strong in the opener of a four-game series Thursday at UCCS, but the Mountain Lions roared back with a 23-hit performance to earn a 13-5 victory at Security Service Field.
 
"We jumped out to a 5-1 lead, but Austin (Stone) just didn't have his good stuff today," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "Everything was up (in the strike zone) the whole time and you just aren't able to do that in a good hitter's park like this."
 
MSU Denver (25-12 overall, 18-7 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) scored a first-inning run as Chase Anderson tripled and scored on a passed ball. UCCS (24-15, 16-9) answered with a run in its half of the first.
 
Then the Roadrunners scored four times in the second on an RBI double by Zach Walsh, a run-scoring single by Ty Lightley, an RBI groundout by Zach Paschke, and a run-scoring single by Anderson.
 
But that was about it for MSU Denver. Meanwhile, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs scored three in the second, and then scored at least once in every inning from the fourth through the eighth.
 
"We were able to swing the bats well early," Strain said. "We put some guys in motion and executed and did some good things and score some runs. But we went from a situation where we almost knocked out their starter early in the game to having him be able to go eight innings against us.
 
"Maybe because we were getting hit a little bit, our guys tried to do too much. Our approach went away. I've been coaching for 14 years and I haven't seen an offense do that well early and then just disappear."
 
The series continues with a noon doubleheader Friday on campus at UCCS. The Roadrunners will start TJ Egloff (2-1, 3.00) and Zach Sundine (1-1, 2.81).