TOPEKA, Kan. — No. 23 MSU Denver split its Friday doubleheader, suffering its first loss of the season in a tight opener before bouncing back in dominant fashion in the nightcap to move to 8-1 overall.
The Roadrunners fell 5-4 to Emporia State (7-1) in the early game before responding with an 8-0 shutout of Sioux Falls (0-2). MSU Denver will return to action Saturday against Washburn.
Game One: Emporia State 5, MSU Denver 4
The opener proved to be a back-and-forth battle that was ultimately decided by one swing.
Emporia State drilled a three-run homer in the top of the seventh to erase a late deficit and hand MSU Denver its first loss of the year.
Jake Syverson was sharp once again on the mound for the Roadrunners, tossing six innings while allowing just one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts. He exited with a 4-2 lead but received a no decision. Alejandro Maltos García (0-1) was charged with the loss after surrendering the decisive three-run homer in the seventh. Joey Adge was excellent in relief, covering the final 2.1 innings without allowing a hit or a run.
Offensively, Blake Wilson provided the biggest swing of the game for MSU Denver. The senior launched a three-run homer down the left-field line in the fourth inning to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Wilson accounted for all three RBIs in the contest for the Roadrunners. MSU Denver added another run in the sixth, making it a 4-2 ballgame.
The Roadrunners drew eight walks in the loss and threatened late. Marques Abulhosn reached base three times out of the leadoff spot with a single, walk, and hit by pitch. Buzard went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks as MSU Denver continued to generate traffic on the bases, but stranded runners in the final innings.
The loss snapped MSU Denver's season-opening seven-game winning streak.
Game Two: MSU Denver 8, Sioux Falls 0
The Roadrunners responded emphatically in the evening game behind dominant pitching and a seven-run outburst over the first and seventh innings.
Haydn Benoit (2-0) earned his second win of the season in his first start of the year, firing six shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out two. He worked around traffic in the middle innings and kept Sioux Falls off the scoreboard throughout. Nick Vilims was nearly untouchable in relief, allowing just one hit across three innings while striking out four to seal the shutout.
MSU Denver struck first in the opening frame when Lathan Buzard delivered an RBI single to plate Brooks Rasmussen. The Roadrunners extended the lead in the fifth as Buzard again came through, driving in two runs to make it 3-0.
The decisive blow came in the seventh inning when MSU Denver exploded for five runs. Erubiel Ortiz started the rally with an RBI single before Buzard cleared the bases with a two-run double to right center. Later in the inning, doubles from Royce Vandine and Blake Wilson helped cap the scoring and push the advantage to 8-0.
Buzard finished 3-for-4 with a team-high five RBIs, driving in the first three runs of the game and adding two more in the seventh. Rasmussen was dynamic from the two-hole, scoring three times while going 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases. Ortiz added a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Abulhosn continued his strong start to the season, extending his hitting streak to nine games by once again reaching base via single, walk, and hit by pitch. Wilson pushed his hitting streak to eight games, while Rasmussen has now reached base safely in eight consecutive contests.
With the split, No. 23 MSU Denver sits at 8-1 on the season and will look to continue its strong start Saturday against Washburn.
