GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – No. 18 MSU Denver put up seven runs against the pitching staff of top-ranked Colorado Mesa on Sunday, but the Mavericks used their offensive prowess to earn a 12-7 victory to complete the sweep of a four-game series.
 
"We hit some balls hard offensively and we continued to fight," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "But it's hard when you score three in an inning to make it a two-run game and they come right back in get five in the blink of an eye. That was kind of the story all weekend. When we got the lead or got runs, we gave up runs right back."
 
Chase Anderson's RBI single in the second tied the game 1-1, but Colorado Mesa answered with a three-run homer in the bottom of the second.
 
Bill Ralston hit his second homer of the series in the top of the third, but Mesa answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
Jake Williams' three-run homer in the top of the fifth got the Roadrunners within 7-5, but then Mesa came back with five in the bottom half.
 
Williams was 2-for-4 with four RBIs to lead an 11-hit attack. Ralston was 2-for-3 and scored three runs while also drawing two walaks. Caleb Albaugh added a homer.
 
"Our guys are frustrated," Strain said. "They thought they should have played better. They believe that. But it was a perfect storm where we didn't play well against a good team that is playing well. Every time we got some momentum, we couldn't stop them.
 
"But we've still got a lot to play for. We have three big series coming up, and two of them are at home. We have to have a short memory. I tell our guys after every series, win or lose, to forget about it and move on to the next one. This is the first time we've really been punched in the mouth, but we have to regroup. If we play well, we'll give ourselves a chance to play them again in the conference tournament."