DENVER – MSU Denver pitcher Jack Slominski twirled a three-hit shutout and the 23^rd-ranked Roadrunners' offense continued its high-scoring ways in a 10-0 victory Sunday over Mary (N.D.) to complete a three-game sweep.
 
Slominski (3-0) needed just 74 pitches while striking out eight and not allowing a walk. The game was ended after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
 
"Jack was great," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "He had unbelievable stuff, had command of all his pitches, competed, pounded the (strike) zone, just didn't really give them any chance to get anything going.
 
"When you do that, you give our offense a chance to swing the bats and keep the momentum going, which is huge for us. I've been preaching all year that when we score, you've got to put up zeroes to keep the momentum going. But that's hard to do because as our offense continues to score, the innings can get pretty long and the pitcher has to sit there for a while – and you have to stay focused and be ready to go. He did a great job of that today."
 
It was MSU Denver's first shutout of the season and it was the Roadrunners' first complete-game shutout since Reichle Arcilise's complete-game one-hitter at Emporia State on Feb. 20, 2022.
 
"He earned the right to go the distance," Strain said. "He was very efficient and his pitch count was low."
 
Offensively, Tanner Garner and Zach Schuler each lashed three more hits, while Lance Kelly homered as part of a two-hit game. Also getting two hits were Cody Schultz and Zach Paschke. The regular shortstop in 2019, Paschke got his first start of the season.
 
"I'm really happy for Paschke," Strain said. "He played a lot early on and hasn't gotten the chances he'd like, but he's continued to work hard and wait for his chance and he got in there and got a couple of hits for us. And the rest of the offense continued to do its thing."
 
The Roadrunners play non-conference games against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponents next week, as they play host to Colorado Christian and Regis on Friday before playing at Colorado School of Mines on Saturday and at CSU Pueblo on Sunday.
 
"It was a good weekend," Strain said. "Going 12-2 through the non-conference games – even though next week's games aren't conference games they're against conference teams – we've put ourselves in good position."