DURANGO, Colo. – Miki Berg hit a tie-breaking grand slam in the sixth inning, lifting MSU Denver to a 5-1 victory at Fort Lewis on Monday in the opening game of a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheader.
 
Fort Lewis bounced back to win the second game 2-0 as the Roadrunners were shut out for the first time all season.
 
MSU Denver is 35-9 overall and, after splitting the four-game series, is now 28-4 for third place in the RMAC.
 
In the sixth inning of Monday's opener, Shelby Robb led off with a double and Miah Hartvigsen drew a walk Jenna Medhus moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt before Aaliyah Arellano reached base on a fielder's choice, with neither baserunner advancing.
 
Then Berg stepped up and crushed her grand slam to right center, making it 5-1.
 
Natalie Romero (8-3) pitched a complete game, allowing one run (unearned) on four hits while walking two.
 
In the second game, Fort Lewis scored the game's only runs in the fourth inning, on a two-run single.
 
MSU Denver, the Division II leader in batting average (.381) coming into the day, couldn't get untracked and managed just four hits.
 
Cheyenne Prieto turned in a strong pitching performance, allowing two runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.
 
As a staff, Romero, Prieto, Medhus and Natalie Wilson allowing just six earned runs on 28 hits in 26 innings for the series, recording a 2.08 ERA.
 
"I thought all four of our pitchers did really well in all four games," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "It's unfortunate we couldn't get them more run support in game two each day."