DENVER – Niko Piazza got things started Saturday.
 
He got things ended, too.
 
After going just 1-for-9 as the MSU Denver offense rolled in a Friday doubleheader sweep, Piazza joined in the hit parade Saturday with four hits – including two doubles and a homer – in a 16-8 victory over Fort Hays State (Kan.) in the opener of another doubleheader.
 
Then, when the seven-inning second game went to extra innings, Piazza delivered a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth for a 5-4 win.
 
"I was just trying to get something over the plate," Piazza said of his single past the third baseman, which scored Chase Anderson from second base. "He started me off with a curveball the previous AB, so I was kind of sitting on that. He threw it up there and I was ready for it. I just put some barrel on it, and a good thing happened."
 
Piazza was 4-for-5 in the opener and 2-for-4 in the second game while driving in four runs on the day. He finished the series at .389 – which, on a team that could be dominant offensively – was only the eighth-best average among those with at least eight plate appearances.
 
As a team in the four-game sweep, the Roadrunners .403.
 
Yes, .403 as a team.
 
They were 58-for-144 with 10 homers.
 
"We've got a lot of good players, and we're preaching that you have to perform to stay in," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "And Niko kept having good swings (Friday). It's not about hits, it's about how you look. If you look competitive and confident, you've got a chance to stay in. Knowing he can do some damage on every swing, we stuck with him, and it paid off."
 
Having already won the first three games to clinch the series, MSU Denver could've been satisfied.
 
The Roadrunners trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh, with the only run coming on Logan Soole's first-inning homer.
 
But Colin Stone doubled and freshman Jayden Cordova followed with a double to straightaway center field. Then freshman Caleb Albaugh followed with a clutch, two-run single to right center to tie the game and force extra innings.
 
"To see two freshmen who haven't played at this level – Cordova got to see it last year (he was going to redshirt before the season ended due to COVID-19), but he didn't get to play – they're just tough kids," Strain said. "They play hard."
 
Fort Hays State pushed a run across in the top of the eighth, but MSU Denver tied it in the bottom of the eighth on Alex Gonzales' double down the left field line.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Chase Anderson beat out an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice by Cody Schultz, then scored on Piazza's sixth hit of the day.
 
"It's hard to sweep people," Strain said. "I don't care who you're playing. Three games is different, and that fourth game is tougher. You've got to stay mentally focused. Four games in two days when you haven't played a game that's this meaningful since March – they were gassed. You could see it in the swings of the guys who played all four games.
 
"I'm really proud of our guys. We had to come back a couple of times in that game."
 
Fort Hays State got just four hits in the nightcap, only two after the first inning as relievers Josh Thompson (four innings), Brandon Moore, Gabe Austin and Tyler Phillips combined to allow only two runs – one earned – after starter Austin Stone was ejected at the end of the first inning.
 
In the nine-inning opener, MSU Denver starter Cade Crader picked up where he left off last season – and then some – with a career-high 12 strikeouts in only 4 2/3 innings. However, a two-run homer by Garrett Stephens chased Crader and put the Roadrunners in a 4-2 deficit.
 
With this offense, though, it wasn't a problem.
 
MSU Denver scored three in the fifth, seven in the sixth, then four more in the seventh to make it 16-5.
 
"All 20 of our position players got in (and 18 got plate appearances)," Strain said. "On the weekend, all our pitchers threw with the exception of just a few guys – and some of those guys are hurt. It was a total team weekend to get four wins. Everyone did something to help us win. Guys had to step up as pinch-hitters, pinch-runners, defense. Everything."
 
MSU Denver pitchers – 14 of them – impressed with 51 strikeouts in 34 innings of work, a ratio of 13.5 per nine innings. The Roadrunners allowed only 29 hits, but walked 19 and hit eight batters with pitches.

The Roadrunners as a staff struck out 17 in the opening game, tying a program record.
 
"If we can just cut down the walks and the hit by pitch," Strain said. "Luckily our offense was so good it masked it a little bit. It was our pitchers' first time out, and it's not great weather. But if you give them free bases, a lot of bad things can happen. Hopefully we can learn from it, because I think if we can command the zone and not give them free bases, it's going to be difficult for teams to out-hit us a lot of the time."