DENVER – MSU Denver's pitching staff got back on track Saturday.
 
In sweeping a doubleheader against CSU Pueblo to move into a tie for second place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Roadrunners pitchers held their foe to a total of four runs in 15 of the 16 innings. And, even though the ThunderWolves struck for seven runs in that other frame – the fifth inning of the nightcap – MSU Denver had more than enough offensive muscle to add an 11-8 win to its 4-3 victory in the opener.
 
"It was a really good job by the pitching staff, other than just the one inning," Strain said. "It's been a bit of an issue for our guys that we try to throw it through a brick wall sometimes. Their stuff is good enough. Just pitch what you pitch at and throw it where you want to throw it, instead of trying to throw it a couple mph faster."
 
MSU Denver improved to 24-8 overall, while CSU Pueblo dropped to 12-17. Both teams are 9-5 in the RMAC.
 
Reichle Arcilise (4-1) returned to form in the opener, pitching six shutout innings before allowing a solo homer in the seventh. He finished up with eight strong innings, allowing one run on four hits, with no walks and six strikeouts.
 
"He was commanding all his pitches, which is huge," Strain said. "He hasn't had that kind of command since he was coming out of the bullpen (earlier this season). It was good to see."
 
Arcilise outbattled CSU Pueblo starter Zach Pratt.
 
"It was good to get back out there," Arcilise said. "That's a good team. Pratt did a tremendous job on the other side. It was a real pitchers' duel."
 
Cam Yuran and Cody Schultz led the offense with solo home runs, and Eric Cox got the final two outs for his seventh save.
 
In the second game, starter Andrew Hayes pitched four excellent innings before running into trouble in the fifth, as CSU Pueblo reached him and reliever Gabe Austin for 10 consecutive hits, turning a 6-1 MSU Denver advantage into an 8-6 lead for the ThunderWolves.
 
But an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth by Gavin Schmeh made it 8-7, Colin Stone scored on a wild pitch to tie it 8-8, and then Ross Smith drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Roadrunners back in front.
 
"Our offense didn't blink," Strain said. "They just kept going."
 
In the sixth, Zach Paschke blasted a two-run homer and – combined with earlier homers by Stone and Schmeh – gave the Roadrunners a home run from their 7-8-9 hitters.
 
Schmeh and Paschke have recently gotten themselves into the lineup due to injuries and are starting to seize their opportunity.
 
"It's hard on this team when you don't always get a chance to play," Strain said. "Schmeh is as good a shortstop as there is in the league, but when you're behind really good players, it's tough.
 
"Paschke played every day his first year (2019), but he's had to wait his turn to play again and to his credit, he kept going and didn't give up, had to move to a position (third base) that he's probably never played before. His defense was huge for us, especially in the first game, and then he got some big hits that we needed."
 
With Cox unavailable for the second game, left-hander Brady McLean pitched two scoreless innings for his first save.
 
"I had an idea, kind of a feeling, that I would be (the second-game closer)," McLean said. "For us to get a save without (Cox) is a big thing, because he's a big part of our team.
 
"It felt good to get a couple of zeroes there at the end of the game for us."
 
Said Strain: "He's got great stuff. His stuff moves all over the place. He just has to take a deep breath. There's a reason he was a Division I pitcher (at Miami of Ohio). And he wasn't just on a Division I team, he pitched for them. He's got a little bit of a bulldog mentality."
 
The teams wrap up the series with a Sunday doubleheader at noon. As with Saturday, the first game is scheduled for nine innings, with the second set for seven.