GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Playing a Saturday afternoon doubleheader on the road, the Roadrunners dropped both ends of a conference showdown to Colorado Mesa at CMU Softball Field, falling to 9-5 overall and 4-2 in RMAC play. The Mavericks improved to 6-8 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
MSU Denver will look to salvage the series Sunday afternoon when the teams close it out with another doubleheader.
Game One (Colorado Mesa 6, MSU Denver 2)
The Roadrunners struck first but couldn't sustain the early momentum in the opener.
MSU Denver plated the first two runs of the contest, highlighted by an RBI single from Zoe Stanzyk that gave the Roadrunners a quick cushion. It marked a strong start offensively, but it would be the last time MSU Denver crossed the plate.
From there, the turning point came in the middle innings as Colorado Mesa capitalized on timely hits to flip the game. After keeping the Mavericks quiet early, the Roadrunners were unable to escape a key rally that shifted control to the home side, and MSU Denver couldn't answer down the stretch.
Natalie Romero got the start in the circle and worked 3.2 innings. She was tagged with the loss, moving to 3-3 on the season. Romero kept the Mavericks off balance early but ran into trouble as CMU strung together hits during its decisive surge.
Offensively, Cheyenne Prieto led the way as the lone Roadrunner with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Brooklynn Enny and Stanzyk accounted for the other two MSU Denver hits in the contest.
Despite scoring first and applying early pressure, the Roadrunners were held scoreless over the final innings as Colorado Mesa completed the comeback.
Game Two (Colorado Mesa 8, MSU Denver 6)
The second contest featured more offense and a back-and-forth battle, but a pair of big innings from the Mavericks proved decisive.
MSU Denver once again jumped out in front, manufacturing runs in the first and third innings to build a 2-0 lead. An RBI single from Brooklynn Enny opened the scoring in the first, and Neila Lucero added an RBI knock in the third to double the advantage.
The momentum swung dramatically in the bottom of the fourth when Colorado Mesa launched a three-run home run to take a 3-2 lead — the first major turning point of the game.
The Roadrunners answered in the fifth, tying the game at 3-3 on an RBI single from Shay Cwelich. However, the bottom half of the inning proved pivotal. Colorado Mesa capitalized on walks and timely extra-base hits, scoring four runs to seize a 7-3 advantage. The Mavericks used a two-run double and a run-scoring single to break the game open, forcing a pitching change.
Kianna Butler suffered her first loss of the season, falling to 2-1 after tossing 4.2 innings. She allowed seven runs while striking out four. Samantha Mader provided relief, working 1.1 innings and surrendering one run.
To their credit, the Roadrunners didn't fold. The Red and Blue mounted a strong rally in the sixth inning. Cheyenne Prieto delivered a two-run double to cut the deficit to 7-5, and Lucero followed with an RBI double to pull the Roadrunners within one at 7-6.
But Colorado Mesa responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth with a triple and RBI single to extend the lead back to two runs, halting MSU Denver's comeback attempt.
The Roadrunners put traffic on the bases in the seventh but were unable to push across the tying run.
Victoria Pearson, Prieto, and Lucero each recorded multi-hit games in the second contest. Prieto was nearly perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBI and two walks. Lucero finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Pearson added two hits at the top of the order.
After riding an eight-game winning streak into the weekend, MSU Denver now looks to regroup heading into Sunday's doubleheader finale. With the conference race tightening early in the RMAC schedule, the Roadrunners will aim to bounce back and regain momentum before returning home.
