GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – When the chips are down, it's comforting to be able to turn to one of the best pitchers in program history.
 
Cade Crader pitched a complete game Thursday to help No. 19 MSU Denver to an 8-3 victory over Colorado Christian in an elimination game at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
The senior right-hander didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, and didn't allow a run until a wind-blown solo homer in the fifth. But by that time the Roadrunners had already scored all their runs – and had more than enough to win.
 
"He was tremendous, just a great performance," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "All his pitches were working. He commanded the (strike) zone. He just did a really nice job. He's had some really good ones for us, and that was right up there with them."
 
Crader (8-1), who had an historic nine-inning perfect game on March 27, improved to 14-10 for his career, putting him tied for seventh on the Roadrunners' all-time win list. He recorded nine strikeouts, giving him 178 for his career (third all-time) and 90 for the season (second in program history).
 
The All-RMAC first team selection was touched for two inconsequential runs in the bottom of the eighth and finished with a five-hitter.
 
"In an elimination game, it's nice to be able to put one of your best guys, a senior and a veteran who has been in a lot of big games, out there," Strain said. "We felt good about things on the pitching side."
 
The second-seeded Roadrunners will play another elimination game at 4 p.m. Friday against the loser of Thursday's late game between third-seeded UCCS and fifth-seeded CSU-Pueblo.
 
Offensively on Thursday, MSU Denver got things started in the top of the first inning as Caleb Albaugh and Bill Ralston each had one-out singles and Niko Piazza followed with a two-run double.
 
"It was nice to be able to get a couple of runs right away," Strain said. "We needed that. Yesterday (in a loss to CSU-Pueblo) we were behind right out of the gate and it seemed like we were playing catch-up all game."
 
Alex Gonzales had a two-run single in the fourth, then Albaugh doubled to lead off a four-run fifth that included a two-run single by Owen Reynolds and an RBI double by Gonzales.
 
Albaugh, the No. 2 hitter in the Roadrunners' lineup, was 3-for-5 and is now 5-for-10 with three doubles through the first two games of the tournament.
 
"He absolutely smoked another ball that the first baseman snagged, or he would have had another double," Strain said. "He's had some big hits for us. What he's doing at the top of the order is so critical, because (leadoff hitter) Chase Anderson and (No. 3 hitter) Bill Ralston are trying to grind out at-bats but they haven't been able to really break through yet. Caleb getting on base between them is helping us give our No. 4 and 5 hitters a chance to drive in runs behind him."
 
Jimmy Dobrash (7-1, 4.92 ERA) is Friday's probable starter, but it's all hands on deck behind him. If the Roadrunners are facing UCCS or CSU-Pueblo and win, they would come back and play again at 8 p.m.
 
"We feel good about our pitching," Strain said. "Even though we lost yesterday and overall that stinks, we've got a lot of depth in our pitching staff. Some of those guys have thrown a lot this year and some haven't, but we feel good about who we can potentially put on the mound."
 
Thanks to Crader, all those arms are fresh heading into a potentially big day on Friday.