GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – MSU Denver fell just short in its attempt to knock off one of the top two teams in the RMAC Tournament for a second straight day on Friday, as only a walkoff, two-run homer was able to lift Colorado Christian to a 5-4 victory in the winner's bracket championship.
The Roadrunners (37-21) remain alive and play an elimination game Saturday at noon against top seed and tournament host Colorado Mesa, whom they defeated 5-3 on Thursday.
Colorado Christian and Colorado Mesa were a combined 65-3 against the rest of the RMAC during the regular season. MSU Denver got one of those three wins (against Colorado Christian) and, combined with the win over Mesa, is the only RMAC team to win against each team this season.
"As a team, we are fighting and growing against tough competition," MSU Denver coach
Annie Van Wetzinga said.
MSU Denver took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by
Kami Grammerstorf, which followed an error ahead of singles by
Emily Shreves and
Rebecca Gonzales that loaded the bases.
In the bottom of the seventh, though, Colorado Christian got a leadoff single before a one-out homer by Samaria Roope.
"It's obviously very tough to lose that way, but we've got more softball to play tomorrow," Van Wetzinga said. "I hope we can continue to show up and play with energy."
The Roadrunners, Colorado Christian and Colorado Mesa are the final three teams remaining in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament.
Should MSU Denver win at noon against Mesa, it would play Colorado Christian at 2:30 p.m. Should the Roadrunners win that game, they would play Colorado Christian again at 5:30 for the championship. Colorado Christian, however, needs only one win to secure the championship and the RMAC's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament's South Central Regional.
On Friday, Colorado Christian held a 2-0 lead through three innings, but MSU Denver moved in front in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by
Miah Hartvigsen and a two-run single by
Ari Valdez.
The Cougars (48-8) tied the game with a run in the bottom of the fourth, setting up the dramatic finish.
Valdez, batting eighth, had two of the Roadrunners' seven hits. Hartvigsen bats seventh and Shreves ninth.
"I love how the bottom of our lineup has been battling and making things happen, and the defensive plays we're coming up with," Van Wetzinga said.
