DENVER – That is what a stopper looks like.
 
MSU Denver, roughed up for 38 runs in the first two games of the series and coming off a crushing extra-innings loss in the first game of the doubleheader, gave the ball to Brad Helton for the second game – and Helton didn't give it back.
 
The junior right-hander was brilliant in a seven-inning, complete-game one-hitter, leading the Roadrunners to an 8-1 victory over Montana State-Billings after the Roadrunners had lost the opener 13-9 in eight innings.
 
"I felt good from the start of warm-ups, and I went in the first inning and got through it," Helton said. "As a starter, I think the biggest think is getting through the first inning and once you do you can ride it out."
 
Helton (1-1) was awfully good in his first two starts of the year, but was actually unable to get out of the first inning in his third start last week. But, on Saturday, he struck out the first two hitters, got the third to fly out, and was off and running.
 
"He's pitched really well in three of his four starts, and he was great today," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "He literally only had one bad pitch. I'm happy for him. To go from not being able to get out of the first to going seven innings is impressive. He competes and gets after it. He did a really nice job in a big game when we needed it."
 
Helton pitched around a second-inning walk, then escaped a third inning in which he hit back-to-back batters with one out and issued a two-out walk to load the bases.
 
"They kept doing damage when we threw mistake fastballs over the middle," Helton said of his observations from the first two games of the series. "My mentality was to keep it low, keep it off their barrel, and let my defense do the work and let them get themselves out."
 
Montana State-Billings' only hit was a leadoff homer in the fifth inning.
 
"I was attacking him, threw him a fastball inside and he got his hands to it and turned on it," Helton said. "Good for him."
 
Helton wound up with eight strikeouts.
 
Up 3-0 on Hayes Edens' three-run, second-inning homer, the Roadrunners added on with an RBI double by Jake Williams for a 4-1 lead in the fifth and scored four in the sixth on a three-run double by Caleb Albaugh and another RBI double by Williams.
 
"That was a big bounceback – we needed it," Albaugh said. "It's tough to come back 35 minutes after a heartbreaking loss like that. But Brad set the tone for us and we backed him up."
 
In the opener, Andrew Biddle went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a Cal Walsh homer started MSU Denver's comeback from a 9-1, fifth-inning deficit. Walsh drove in the tying run with a single in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings.
 
It was the first start of the season for Walsh, who also started the second game at third base.
 
"The cool part is we had some guys step up who really haven't gotten a chance to play much," Strain said, also mentioning Andre Chacon, who was 2-for-2 off the bench in the opening game and started the nightcap. "They haven't whined, complained or pouted, and when they got their chances they got in there and did well."
 
The Roadrunners (6-8) will attempt to salvage a split in Sunday's noon game.
 
"That's where we're at," Strain said. "After losing our first series the plan is to not lose any series the rest of the way. We can't win it, but we have a chance to get some momentum going into next week."