DENVER – MSU Denver bounced back from a difficult Saturday doubleheader to earn a doubleheader split Sunday at Colorado Mesa in a matchup of two of the top three teams in the RMAC standings.
 
The Roadrunners won the opener 13-8 before falling 5-4 in the second game.
 
MSU Denver, which lost each game Saturday on a walkoff homer, is 25-12 overall and maintained a half-game lead over the Mavericks for second place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 21-5. Mesa dropped to 23-12 and 21-6.
 
"I was really proud of how our team bounced back from two really tough losses on Saturday," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "We were a different team with different energy today and we set that tone in the beginning of game one with some really tough at bats to start the game."
 
Shelby Robb hit a first-inning homer, and Hannah DiFabio, Jenna Medhus and Miah Hartvigsen also left the yard in an 18-hit attack. DiFabio and Robb each had three hits and six others had two. DiFabio and Medhus each had three RBIs.

"We kept scoring, and kept responding when they scored," Van Wetzinga said. "We gave up runs, but we never let the flood gates open and we contained the damage. That's a big step."
 
Hartivgen added her second homer of the day, a three-run shot in the sixth, to bring the Roadrunners within 5-4 in the second game. Medhus had three hits and added 2 2/3 innings over scoreless relief.

"Game two was probably the best played game by both teams on the weekend," Van Wetzinga said. "They made some really good plays and we had some hard balls hit right at them. Even though we came up short in game four we competed well."