GOLDEN, Colo. – It was a little closer than they would have liked, but the MSU Denver Roadrunners completed a four-game sweep of Colorado School of Mines on Sunday, taking a 12-3 lead before holding on for a 15-12 victory.
 
"It's never easy," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said.
 
It was MSU Denver's first four-game series sweep of Mines in seven tries dating to April 28 through May 1, 2011.
 
The Roadrunners continued their best overall start to a season since opening 2002 at 9-0 and are 4-0 in the RMAC for the first time since starting 16-0 in 2008.
 
"I'm really excited about these guys," Strain said. "They play hard and when they get their opportunity, they're ready. They don't pout when I take them out, or if they're not in the lineup. They know we have to stay together. We hit as a team and we pitch as a team. And if it's not their day (to start), they stay ready."
 
Zach Sundine (2-0) was ready.
 
The lefty turned in a strong long relief effort – 4 1/3 innings, no runs, five strikeouts – to keep the Orediggers at bay after they had gotten within 5-3 in the bottom of the second.
 
"He pitched really well," Strain said. "There were some big moments in that game, and his was one of the biggest. (Starter) Josh (Thompson) didn't have his stuff, and we just had to take him out even though he hadn't given up a hit. Sunny had to come in a throw quite a bit, probably more than he was prepared for, but he handled it. He's a veteran guy with a lot of experience and he gave us some big innings in the middle."
 
Cody Schultz, who got a key pinch-hit in Friday's come-from-behind win, was ready, too, as the starting shortstop Sunday.
 
Mines chipped away after Sundine departed, getting four in the seventh and four in the eighth to make it a 12-11 game. A relay throw home by Schultz cut down the tying run at the plate for the final out in the eighth.
 
Schultz helped key the offense, too, going 3-for-5 with three runs and three stolen bases.
 
"He did really well, and that was awesome to see," Strain said. "He's had to sit and watch others play quite a bit, but he's done nothing but work his tail off and stay ready. He took advantage of his opportunity to play today."
 
For the third straight game, MSU Denver led from start to finish after scoring in the top of the first – this time on a two-run homer by Logan Soole, his second homer of the series and third of the season. The Roadrunners added two more runs in the inning and eventually built that 12-3 lead by the seventh-inning stretch.
 
Soole was 3-for-3, and Bill Ralston continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs.
 
After Mines got to within 12-11, MSU Denver added three in the top of the ninth, with two coming on a Niko Piazza single up the middle that created a little breathing room.
 
"I'm really proud of the way we fought," Strain said. "We had chances to give in, but we kept battling. The first three games we pitched really well and did just enough on offense. Today we didn't pitch as well but we hit much better. I was frustrated the first couple of days with our offense, but we were fortunate enough to score some runs today and we needed every single one of them."