DENVER – MSU Denver got the pitching it has been seeking, but wasn't able to have the hitting and defense follow suit Friday in a 6-3 loss to Sioux Falls (S.D.).
 
Starter Jack Slominski was better than his numbers indicate (five earned runs in five innings) and the bullpen didn't give up an earned run, but Sioux Falls took advantage of the baserunners it got, moved them up with productive at-bats, and cashed them in with clutch hits.
 
"We aren't able to make kind of a tough play in the first inning and gave them a chance and they get two big two-out hits," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "And then we misjudge a ball (in the third inning) for a hit, and they cash in on that, and then we make an error when their best hitter hits a routine ground ball (in the ninth). We just messed up."
 
Brayden Brooks, Zane Covey, Carson Brown and Kai Inouye combined to allow four hits, with two walks and four strikeouts, in relief.
 
"We've been on our pitchers to go out and compete," Strain said. "Jack didn't have his best stuff, but he competed for five innings, and the other guys came in and did a nice job. They did what they're supposed to do. With our team, when you only give up (six) runs, we're going to win most of the time."
 
MSU Denver managed just six hits, scoring on Jake Williams' solo homer in the fourth, Caleb Albaugh's RBI single later in the fourth, and on Williams' fielder's choice grounder in the fifth that made it 5-3.
 
"That was our worst offensive performance in my seven years here," Strain said. "It's not really close."
 
MSU Denver dropped to 3-5 to start the season.
 
"We aren't very tough right now," Strain said. "You've got to work an earn things – that's what our teams did the last three years. This team isn't at that same level – every year is a new year.
 
"I know it's cold (38 degrees at game time), but it was cold for them, too. They played hard. We didn't play hard."