DENVER – For one last time at the Assembly Athletic Complex, Darby McGhee was Darby McGhee.
 
The MSU Denver senior pitcher, making her last regular-season home appearance, delivered a one-hit shutout in a 12-0, five-inning victory over Regis in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader. The Roadrunners couldn't quite a complete a Senior Weekend sweep, falling 2-1 in the second game, but nonetheless won three of four for the weekend to improve to 25-9 overall and 23-7 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
"It was still a great weekend," said center fielder Megan Sansburn, one of three players recognized in a between-games ceremony Sunday. "Senior Weekend, a lot of fans, a lot of family here to celebrate. It was fun to play a hometown rival. We didn't end it the way we wanted, but it was still fun."
 
The only hit McGhee allowed in the opening game was a third-inning blooper that fell in no man's land in shallow center field.
 
She had little trouble before or after while improving to 14-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 95 innings this season.
 
"I felt a lot better," McGhee said. "I've been struggling the last month or so – it just hasn't been how I wanted it to be. Last week I was really working on figuring out my curveball. We fixed a few things and so I think I was finally figuring everything out today. I felt normal."
 
With McGhee, struggling is relative: over the past month she's 12-1 with two saves and a 2.49 ERA.
 
And so it is with the pitcher who is MSU Denver's all-time leader in strikeouts (446), saves (eight) and pitching appearances (137) and who is also second all-time in wins (57).
 
"I don't worry about her," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "She's a pitcher, and pitchers tend to be perfectionists – and I know where she's coming from. She hasn't been as sharp as she's wanted to be or as we know she can be. She wants to get there, and I really appreciate that. She's not OK with just getting the win and not being at her best. She's continuing to fine-tune some things in the bullpen.
 
"Today she was much sharper. That's what we expect of her. Maybe she gives up a walk or hits a batter, but she has the ability to come back, refocus, not get rattled, and execute her pitches."
 
Always calm and cool, McGhee won twice on the weekend.
 
"I never have any doubt about her," catcher Whitnee Alexander said. "I know she's going to go out there, do her thing and then she'll walk off the field the same way she walked on. It's incredible to watch her play."
 
McGhee got plenty of offensive support as Shelby Robb extended her hitting streak to 19 games with her third triple in three games and her eighth homer of the season while pushing her batting average as high as .535. Also chipping in were Rebecca Gonzales (3-for-4) and Mackenzie Jamieson, who was 2-for-2 with a homer.
 
Destinee Lopez (10-3) turned in a strong complete-game effort in the nightcap, allowing two runs on seven hits, but Regis' Taylor Armitage was just a little better, retiring the first 14 Roadrunners in order before Haley Doughty's two-out double in the fifth inning.
 
Olivia Dampier singled and scored on Sansburn's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning and the Roadrunners had two runners on base before Gonzales lined out to short to end the rally – the play was one of several fine defensive efforts by the Rangers to support Armitage.
 
"It's not fun to lose, especially when it really felt like we controlled the series," Van Wetzinga said. "But we talked about it as a learning moment. The way Regis was competing … they had a fifth-year senior in the circle who threw well, and it was like a conference-tournament feel. No matter who we play in the tournament, we can expect that kind of competition and energy from the opposing dugout.
 
"And when things don't necessarily come easily to us at the plate, we need to have a plan and make adjustments sooner. We can't wait until the fifth inning to start hitting balls hard."
 
But it was hard to put too much of a damper on another successful weekend.
 
The Roadrunners had won 23 straight weekend games played on Saturday or Sunday.
 
"It's really hard to take four games a weekend, and we've been doing that almost the entire season," said Alexander, another player honored on Senior Day. "That happens sometimes. Better now than later in the season."
 
Later in the season includes six regular-season road games this week before the start of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament play.
 
The Roadrunners have quality veterans such as McGhee, Sansburn and Alexander, but they also have a quality freshman core that includes true freshmen Robb, Jamieson and Kami Grammerstorf as well as second-year freshmen such as Dampier and Doughty and then there's Kayla Banks who is technically a third-year freshman after redshirting and then getting last season back due to COVID-19.
 
"We have such a stacked young team that it's hard not to get excited," Alexander said. "These are freshmen coming in and hitting so well, and they're the heart of our lineup. That's the craziest part."
 
The players enjoyed the opportunity to have their celebration in front of the largest crowd of the season as city and county of Denver rules regarding COVID-19 allowed MSU Denver to open the complex to the general public.
 
"It was way more emotional than I expected," Alexander said. "Having all the fans we haven't had – we had a full stadium – it was sad, but it was fun, and it was nice to have everyone here supporting us."
 
Van Wetzinga was also pleased that the seniors could experience a big crowd for their ceremony after starting the season playing in empty ballparks, and then in front of limited-capacity crowds.
 
"You work hard, and your parents and family members are involved in that, too," Van Wetzinga said. "So for those three individuals to be able to have their support here today, it's important. I'm happy that they were able to have their day."