GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado Mesa rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning of each game, winning the opener before extending the second game and eventually winning that as well in 10 innings, in a tough day for the MSU Denver softball team.
 
Mesa won the opener 4-2 on a two-run walkoff homer in the opener, then won the second game 8-7, tying the game with three runs in the seventh before getting a walkoff, two-run homer in the 10^th after MSU Denver had taken the lead on Jenna Medhus' home run in the top of the 10^th.
 
"It was frustrating day and it's really hard to lose two games back-to-back like that," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said.
 
Colorado Mesa improved to 22-11 overall and 20-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, while MSU Denver is 24-11 overall and holds a half-game lead over Mesa for second place in the RMAC at 20-4.
 
The teams wrap up the series with a doubleheader Sunday at 11 a.m.

"Even though we're young, it's time for this team to start growing up and competing more consistently," Van Wetzinga said. "We need to understand if we want to take a step forward as a program, that's it's not easy and won't be handed to us. We need to enjoy tough competition. We should want tough competition.

"When it's not easy, that's the time to come together even more as a team. We can't let setbacks and failures during the course of the game impact our energy and belief in what we can do."
 
Medhus 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, while also pitching five innings of the second game. Audrey Burt homered as well.
 
In the opener, Hannah DiFabio was 2-for-4 with two doubles. Jaiden Geist clubbed a homer. Cheyenne Prieto was the tough-luck losing pitcher in a complete-game effort.