PITTSBURG, Kan. – The 23^rd-ranked MSU Denver baseball team split a pair of games Saturday, roughing up Sioux Falls (S.D.) for the second straight day, 15-4, before falling 6-5 in a closely-contested game with host Pittsburg State (Kan.).
 
"The second game was a good college baseball game between two really good teams," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "We had some tough breaks, but our guys battled and played all the way to the end.
 
"Those are the games we need to be in to get prepared for the future."
 
Cam Yuran was 5-for-5 with two homers against Pitt State – including a solo shot in the ninth that brought the Roadrunners within 6-5.
 
Ross Smith also homered for MSU Denver (8-2), which outhit Pitt State (7-2) 12-8.
 
Reichle Arcilise was stellar in long relief, working 3 1/3 scoreless, one-hit innings, with one walk and seven strikeouts. Starter Andrew Hayes pitched better than his final line indicated.
 
Arcilise has struck out 17 in 7 2/3 scoreless innings this season, while Hayes (2-1) has fanned 15 in 13 innings while posting a 4.15 ERA.
 
"Hayes threw the ball well and Reichle threw the ball really well," Strain said. "They hit their home runs with a couple of guys on, and ours were solos."
 
MSU Denver rapped out 16 hits in the opener, which was called after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
 
Yuran, Smith, Caleb Albaugh, Jake Williams, Zach Schuler, Keegan Vialpando and Lance Kelly had two hits each, while Albaugh, Williams and Schuler each had three RBIs.
 
Jack Slominski (2-0) got the win after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out six. Clayton Burke pitched a scoreless seventh.
 
"Slominski gave us a great start and did a really nice job," Strain said. "Then Burke closed the door. And obviously the offense did a really nice job again."
 
MSU Denver wraps up the weekend with a single game Sunday against Pitt State at 2 p.m. MST.