DENVER – Hannah DiFabio was di-fabulous on Saturday in her collegiate debut, capping a two-game, two-homer, five-hit day with a walk-off, two-run shot as MSU Denver came from behind to complete a sweep of Fort Hays State.
"What can I say about
Hannah DiFabio's debut?" MSU Denver coach
Annie Van Wetzinga said. "She was locked in, and she was clutch. Honestly, she's been really locked in and consistent at practice so it's not too big of a surprise to me that she had a strong start."
The Roadrunners won the second game at the Assembly Athletic Complex 6-5 after breezing to an 8-1 victory in the opener that included a school-record 14-strikeout pitching performance by
Destinee Lopez.
DiFabio started at shortstop both games and was 5-for-7 with a double, a triple and the aforementioned two homers.
DiFabio's third-inning solo homer in the second game gave the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead, and her RBI double made it 4-0 in the fifth.
Fort Hays State rallied to tie the game with a four-run sixth inning and took the lead with a run in the seventh. But
Rebecca Gonzales drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the seventh and, two outs later, DiFabio walked it off with a two-run launch to left.
"We were in a tough position at the end of game two, but our team showed great energy and fight to pull out the win," Van Wetzinga said.
Sarah Norton got the win in her MSU Denver debut, pitching 6 2/3 innings, the first 5 1/3 and then the final 1 1/3 after coming back on in relief during Fort Hays State's four-run uprising.
A junior college transfer, Norton allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out six.
"Sarah showed toughness," Van Wetzinga said. "I would've liked to see our offense give her more support, but she stayed calm and kept fighting. It was a mature performance by Sarah."
In the opener, returning All-RMAC first team pitcher Lopez more than just picked up where she left off last season with a complete-game two hitter, with the only run off her unearned, while breaking Brittany Moss' program record of 13 strikeouts set in 2010.
Even while winning the RMAC's regular-season ERA title last season, Lopez had never struck out more than eight.
"Not bad for a pitch-to-contact pitcher," Van Wetzinga said. "She was sharp. When people talk about a pitcher vs. a thrower, today was a perfect example. Destinee was a pitcher today. She knows who she is and didn't try to be anything more than that. She attacked, hit her spots, and effectively changed speeds when necessary."
Shelby Robb was 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the opener and was one of four Roadrunners (including DiFabio) who had two hits as part of a 12-hit attack.
"It's a great start to the season for a team with so many new faces," Van Wetzinga said. "We saw some great performances by new faces and returners.
"I also want to give a shout out to our outfield today. They made some tough catches and covered a lot of ground on a day where the wind was a big factor."
MSU Denver wraps up its opening weekend of the season at the Assembly Athletic Complex with an 11 a.m. doubleheader Sunday against Cal Poly Humboldt.
