DENVER – Senior Day triumphs don't get much better than this.
Fifth-year veteran
Maddy Wilson pitched her first seven-inning complete game – a four-hit shutout – to lead MSU Denver to a 6-0 victory over Colorado School of Mines and a split of a Sunday doubleheader after the Orediggers won the opening game 3-0.
Wilson pitched before a boisterous group a 10 to 12 family and friends who convened at the Assembly Athletic Complex after traveling from California and Nebraska and had her best outing yet while improving to 8-2.
"It was nice to have my whole family there," Wilson said. "They came from different places and were here to support me."
The group even included her pitching coach, with whom she has worked since age 8.
Wilson, after three years of relative inactivity at the Division I level and a difficult 2023 that included trying to shake off some rust, work through an injury and overcome anxiety, appears to be hitting her stride now.
"All of my coaches and all of my girls have had my back the whole time, and that's really special," an emotional Wilson said.
Wilson held Mines without an extra-base hit and didn't walk a batter until the seventh inning while striking out six, one short of her career high.
"I'm really happy for Maddy," MSU Denver coach
Annie Van Wetzinga said. "She threw really well. She pitched to her strengths and she had good command. Good things happen when you attack at a good level, and let your defense take care of it."
Said center fielder
Kami Grammerstorf: "She's finding her groove, and she really dealt. She was confident, and we felt confident behind her."
Wilson, Grammerstorf, left fielder
Shelby Robb and first baseman
Miah Hartvigsen were all honored in a Senior Day ceremony between games of the doubleheader.
Wilson's performance helped the Roadrunners (36-14 overall, 29-9 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) snap a six-game losing streak.
"I just tried to stay loose, have fun and say, 'So what?'" Wilson said. "We had lost (six) games in a row, so just go out and do what you need to do and have fun.
"I'm pretty proud (of the complete game). It's my goal every game to go as long as I can. I took it inning by inning because you never know what's going to happen."
After being limited to three hits – all singles – in the opener, the Roadrunners got started behind Grammerstorf's leadoff single in the bottom of the first.
"Hitting is contagious and Kami was a real catalyst for us," Van Wetzinga said. "She set the tone right away with the base hit up the middle."
Grammerstorf moved to third on Robb's single and scored on Hartvigsen's sacrifice fly, and MSU Denver took its first lead in 41 innings.
"We just had more fun," Grammerstorf said. "It felt more free. The first pitcher was pretty challenging, but we were able to get on a roll in the second game."
Grammerstorf was 3-for-4, Robb and
Jaiden Geist each had two hits, and Hartvigsen drove in two runs.
In the opener, reigning RMAC Pitcher of the Week Sadriena Rodriguez kept the Roadrunners in check.
"She's tough and we knew that," Van Wetzinga said. "She's been around, and she has really good command. We needed to attack strikes earlier and not let her control (at-bats). We needed to try to make her a little uncomfortable."
The Roadrunners also had two errors and a couple of other miscues that might have made a difference.
"Shelby hit some balls hard right at people, so that was unfortunate," Van Wetzinga said. "But we've got to take care of little things, too. You've still got to score, but two of the runs they shouldn't have gotten. If they just have one run, then we get a baserunner on in the seventh inning, then it feels different, for them and for us."
Despite Senior Day having already taken place, the altered schedule due to weather means the Roadrunners still have Monday's doubleheader to play.
"It's been the longest and shortest four years of my life," Grammerstorf said. "I'll miss all the girls. It's been fun. I'm very thankful to have had this opportunity.
"Today was pretty great and all my family was here, and we got one (win). And we'll be ready tomorrow."
