DENVER, Colo. — The MSU Denver Roadrunners earned another doubleheader sweep over the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys Monday afternoon, and complete the series sweep.
Senior pitcher Brad Helton held it down for the Roadrunners in game one, going 6.2 innings while allowing three runs with a career-high 11 strikeouts. He got the no decision.
Erubiel Ortiz earned the game winning hit with a go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning for a 4-3 Roadrunners lead. He went 4-for-4 in the first contest with two runs, two RBIs, and a walk. Andrew Graham also knocked in two runs, going 2-for-3.
Drew Peters toed the rubber for MSU Denver in game two and was masterful. Peters went six innings with no earned runs, allowing just three hits while striking out 10 batters. He improved to 2-0 on the season.
Outfielder Andrew Biddle went a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest with a towering three-run homer early on. He also came around to score three times.
Easton Amundson hit the other homer in the game, no. 18 of the season which is second in the RMAC. He had three in the series to extend his team lead.
GAME ONE
New Mexico Highlands opened the scoring with a solo shot to right in the first inning. The Roadrunners responded in the bottom half with a sac fly from Andrew Graham with the bases loaded.
MSU Denver started the fifth with back-to-back doubles from Gavin Schmeh and Brooks Rasmussen, but Schmeh did not touch home plate and was called out.
Jesse Velders brought home the second run for the Roadrunners on a fielder's choice a few batters later.
NMHU tied the game at two in the seventh with an RBI triple to left center. They took the lead the next at-bat on a wild pitch.
Ortiz came up clutch the following inning with a two-RBI double down the left field line to take back the lead for the Roadrunners. Graham extended it to a 5-3 ballgame with a single to right.
Carter Swan closed out the game with the bases loaded for the second day in a row for a Roadrunners win.
GAME TWO
The Roadrunners pulled off the rare two-base sac fly in the first inning to score Andrew Biddle who had a leadoff double.
Andrew Paolini laced a single into right center for the second run of the game. A passed ball the next at-bat made it a 3-0 advantage for MSU Denver after one frame.
MSUD tacked on three more runs in the second inning thanks to a double from Ortiz and an infield single from Cam Yuran.
New Mexico Highlands capitalized on a two-out error and hit a three-run homer the next at-bat to cut the deficit in half.
Andrew Biddle answered with a three-run shot of his own the following half, putting the MSUD lead back to six.
UP NEXT
Head coach Ryan Strain and his team will be back at home next weekend for another four-game series, this time with Colorado Christian.
