SAN ANGELO, Texas – MSU Denver scored a first-inning run, but the Roadrunners couldn't hold off Texas-Tyler on Thursday and dropped a 17-4 decision in an NCAA Division II South Central Regional first-round game.
The defeat sent Nos. 26/21 MSU Denver into a potential elimination game scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT/6 p.m. MDT later Thursday against top-seeded and Nos. 1/3 Angelo State (Texas).
The fifth-seeded Roadrunners (42-13) pushed a run across against the fourth-seeded and Nos. 22/27 Texas-Tyler (38-17) as
Cody Schultz reached on a leadoff error, moved to third on a single by
Tanner Garner and scored on
Ross Smith's fielder's choice.
Texas-Tyler, though, scored four in the second, two in the third and four in the fifth to take control.
MSU Denver got a run in the sixth, as Smith doubled and eventually scored on a
Cam Yuran groundout, and then got a solo run in the eighth on
Jayden Cordova's pinch-hit homer to straightaway center field and another solo homer from
Zach Paschke in the ninth.
Patriots left-hander Dylan Blomquist, an All-Lone Star Conference second team selection after making the league's first team last year, shut down arguably the best offense in Division II, allowing three runs – two earned – on six hits in eight innings, with no walks and five strikeouts.
