CHADRON, Neb. – MSU Denver matched two program records Saturday in a softball doubleheader sweep at Chadron State, winning 15-5 in five innings and then 9-4.
The Roadrunners have now won 17 straight games, tying the legendary 2010 team's best mark, while
Kami Grammerstorf recorded her 75
th career stolen base, matching the standard of Colissa Bakovich (2014-17).
MSU Denver improved to 21-5 overall, and remains in sole possession of first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 14-0 – only last year's team (15-0) has had a better start for league play.
Grammerstorf, who got her historic stolen base in the first inning, and
Katie Maney cracked first-game home runs as the Roadrunners broke it open with a nine-run second inning and whacked 16 hits in all.
Shelby Robb extended her hitting streak to 12 games with three hits in each game – she's batting .649 during her streak (24 for 37) and is now batting .506 for the season (40 for 79). She was 6 for 9 Saturday.
"Our hitters were really tough today," MSU Denver coach
Annie Van Wetzinga said. "Up and down our lineup we were putting good swings on pitches and hitting line drives and using our speed. That's who we are, and it's really fun to see them embrace that."
After the first-game blowout, the Roadrunners didn't solve Chadron State until the fourth inning of the second game, breaking a 1-1 tie on Maney's RBI double and adding on with run-scoring singles by Grammerstorf and Robb.
MSU Denver added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and two more in the seventh and held off the Eagles' late rally.
Robb drove in three runs, and
Jenna Medhus was 3 for 3 for to complete a 5-for-6 day.
"Chadron's game-two pitcher was doing a really nice job at the beginning of the game of mixing speeds and keeping us off balance," Van Wetzinga said. "I was especially proud of our hitters to focus in and make adjustments and start squaring up pitches."
Maddy Wilson (4-1) pitched six innings for the win, striking out seven.
"Maddy did a really nice job," Van Wetzinga said. 'This is a tough field to pitch at with the short fences. She went out there and pitched with confidence and Natalie (Romero) came in and was sharp and shut the door."
