DENVER – MSU Denver's high-powered offense faced championship-level pitching Friday in the first game of a non-conference softball doubleheader, and top-ranked defending national champions Augustana won a classic 11-inning pitcher's duel 2-0 on a homer by Amber Elliott.
 
The young Roadrunners suffered a bit of a letdown in the second game, losing 13-1 in five innings.
 
Augustana's Ashley Mickschl, the most outstanding player of the NCAA Division II Championships last May when the tournament was held at MSU Denver's Regency Athletic Complex, pitched a five-hit shutout, with one walk and nine strikeouts to improve to 4-0.
 
"Obviously a good, competitive game, but we were disappointed in our hitters," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "She's obviously an All-American pitcher, but I would've liked to see our offense – with the kind of hitters we have – make adjustments sooner.
 
"She attacks the zone, and she took control away from us. We got very passive, almost guessing. She was keeping it at a nice level and on the corners, but that's what good pitchers do. If you're a good hitter, you need to hit that."
 
The Roadrunners (8-4) came into the day ranked third nationally in hits (101), third in homers (15) and ranked 14^th with a team batting average of .361.
 
But Mickschl had other ideas.
 
"She's the one who pitched most of the innings for a national championship," Van Wetzinga said. "She knows how to pitch. But that said, I think we should've done more. But give her credit, and I've told our pitchers, it's amazing what you can do when you can throw it where you want to."
 
Matching Mickschl was the MSU Denver duo of Darby McGhee and Destinee Lopez.
 
McGhee pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings, scattering nine hits while walking one and striking out three.
 
"I'm pleased most by our pitchers," Van Wetzinga said. "Darby threw up all zeros and that was really nice to see. I'm very happy for her, because it's been a little bit of a struggle to start the season for her. Last week she started to turn the corner and I'm glad she got that today."
 
Lopez (2-2) got the final out of the eighth, then added two scoreless frames before giving up a two-walk walk ahead of Elliott's homer.
 
"Destinee gave up the home run, but at some point runs are going to be scored," Van Wetzinga said. "I was happy with her."
 
The air seemed to come out of the Roadrunners' balloon in the second game as they uncharacteristically committed five errors in a six-run Augustana first inning.
 
Kayla Banks (4-1) gave up 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings, but only two of the 12 runs charged to her were earned as MSU Denver eventually made a total of 10 errors.
 
"Kayla didn't start that sharp, but I commended her with the circus that was going on around her, she kept her head really well and got us a lot of ground balls," Van Wetzinga said. "She was a part of the errors, too, but she could've folded in the circle and she didn't do that."
 
Augustana improved to 6-2.
 
It was a lesson learned for a young roster that has suffered three of its four losses in the second game of a doubleheader against the same team.
 
"We need to be ready to go," Van Wetzinga said. "We have a young team that needs to understand what it means to get ready to play ball in college. Because the game is going to come at you fast. You need to be ready.
 
"Tight game. Disappointed to lose. But that's over. Come back ready."