LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Jake Williams launched a mammoth, tie-breaking two-run homer in a four-run top of the seventh and final inning, which included Gavin Schmeh picking up his sixth RBI of the game, and MSU Denver survived and closed out a doubleheader sweep Sunday with an 11-10 victory at Colorado Christian.
 
Jesse Velders drove in five runs in the opening game, an 18-2 victory in a nine-inning game that was halted after seven due to the 12-run rule.
 
With the sweep, MSU Denver improved to 25-19 overall and moved into sole possession of second place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 16-10.
 
"Those were good wins to get," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "We needed them."
 
In the wild nightcap, Schmeh blasted a pair of homers, a three-run shot in the fourth that gave the Roadrunners a 5-3 lead and a two-run blast in the sixth that tied it 7-7.
 
Williams hit his 44^th career homer, one short of tying the program record set by Rusty Befus (1988-92), for a 9-7 lead in the seventh, with Schmeh driving in another run on a single and later scoring on a fielder's choice grounder as Hayes Edens beat out a potential inning-ending double play.
 
"That ended up being a big run," Strain said.
 
The Roadrunners needed all of those runs, as Colorado Christian hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Schmeh was 4-for-4 while starting for just the eighth time and appearing in a 17^th game all season. He's now batting .314 (11-for-35).
 
"That just shows the kind of depth we have offensive side," Strain said. "We've got good players all over, and we're testing every bit of that with all the injuries that we have. But Gavin deserved a chance to start today, and we wouldn't have won the game without him today – he had some big hits and made some nice plays (at third base), too."
 
Velders had two hits to cap a 4-for-7 day.
 
Zane Covey (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
 
"Zane did a really nice job," Strain said.
 
In the opener, the Roadrunners scored two in the first, five in the second, four in the third and seven in the fourth.
 
Velders had a two-run homer that made it 11-1 in the third and an RBI triple for a 13-1 lead in the fourth.
 
Caleb Albaugh was 3-for-4, while Andrew Biddle, Cam Yuran and Tyler Tobey joined Biddle in having two-hit games.
 
Jack Slominski (6-3) allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in five innings, walking one and striking out six.
 
"Jack was good enough, got through five innings and with a short week (coming up) with two days less to rest, it was good to be able to get him out early," Strain said. "It was nice to see (Tyler) Schultz and (Jason) Kramlich each come in and put up zeroes. They both did a nice job."
 
The series concludes with a doubleheader Monday at noon.
 
ROADRUNNERS MILESTONES: Albaugh had four hits on the day to pass Jake Palmer (2005-08) for third on the program's all-time hit list and now  has 239. He needs nine to pass Befus' program-record 247. He also scored six runs to move past Yuran for first in program history with 196 (Yuran has 192). … Williams' four total bases moves him from eighth to sixth in program history with 361, as he passed Chase Anderson (2019-22) and Torin Berge (1987-89). … Smolinski earned his 15^th career win, moving him into a tie for eighth in program history with Ryan Baca (2013-16) and Pat Smaldone (1980-83).