DENVER – MSU Denver pushed national-title contender Colorado Mesa to the end but came up just short Friday night in suffering a 9-8 loss in the opener of a four-game weekend series at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
 
"We played well," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "They played well, too. We did a lot of good things."
 
The Roadrunners (21-14 overall, 10-7 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) led sixth- and seventh-ranked Colorado Mesa (23-6, 11-3) 2-1 after the first inning, 4-1 after the fourth and 4-3 after the fifth.
 
But the Mavericks used to four-run sixth to take the lead at 7-4.
 
MSU Denver tied it after getting two in the sixth and another in the seventh on a massive Bill Ralston home run.
 
But the Mavericks scored two in the eighth – with the second run unearned – to retake the lead. MSU Denver answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth and had two runners on in the ninth but couldn't do any more damage.
 
MSU Denver's first-inning runs came as the first four hitters produced – Cody Schultz and Caleb Albaugh each walked, then Ralston drove in a run with a single and Ross Smith another with a sacrifice fly.
 
Chase Anderson launched a two-run homer to make it 4-1.
 
Mesa stretched its lead to 7-4 as 2021 NCAA Division II Player of the Year Haydn McGeary hit his second two-run homer of the game.
 
But the Roadrunners got close on Colin Stone's RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly by Schultz.
 
After Ralston's 16th homer of the season tied it in the seventh, Mesa's runs in the eighth came on an RBI double and a throwing error.
 
Schultz had a clutch RBI single in the eighth, capping a nine-pitch at-bat in which he battled back from an 0-2 count.
 
MSU Denver had other chances, too. After Anderson's fourth-inning homer, back-to-back close plays at second base were ruled outs – on Cam Yuran's stolen-base attempt and an attempted double Tanner Garner, which would have produced a run anyway had Yuran been ruled safe.
 
In the fifth, with speedy Caleb Albaugh at first base with two outs, Smith's fly down the right field line landed fair in the corner but bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, negating what would have been another run as Albaugh, by rule, was allowed to advance only to third.
 
"Unfortunately we had a couple of tough breaks, a couple of calls that went against us, had a ball bounce over the fence that would've scored a run," Strain said. "In a one-run game, you get both you win and get win you're still playing. Our guys competed against a good baseball team and gave us a chance.
 
The throwing error in the eighth also hurt.
 
"It's just unfortunate," Strain said. "It's a tough way to lose.
 
"We've got to make more pitches, make more plays and put more balls in play."
 
The series continues with a 3 p.m. doubleheader Saturday that is part of Military Appreciation Day. After the second game, there will be a fireworks display.