DENVER – MSU Denver Baseball capped off a tightly contested weekend with a 9-7 victory over Colorado Christian on Sunday afternoon, securing a 3-of-4 series win as all four games were decided by just one or two runs.
With the win, the Roadrunners improve to 31-7 overall and 19-1 in RMAC play, continuing their dominant stretch in conference action.
MSU Denver wasted no time responding after Colorado Christian struck first, as Royce Vandine delivered an RBI infield single in the bottom of the first to even the score at 1-1. The Roadrunners then seized momentum in the second inning when Marques Abulhosn lined a two-RBI single to put MSU Denver ahead 3-2, a lead they would not relinquish.
The offense continued to build throughout the middle innings. In the third, Alek Martinez pushed the advantage to 4-2 with an RBI single through the right side. An inning later, Brayden Oram provided a key spark, launching a solo home run to extend the lead to 5-2. MSU Denver added another run in the frame on a fielder's choice off the bat of Brooks Rasmussen, making it 6-2.
Rasmussen came through again in the sixth inning with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 7-3, before Martinez delivered once more in the seventh, ripping an RBI double down the line to give the Roadrunners an 8-3 cushion.
At the plate, MSU Denver saw balanced production throughout the lineup. Abulhosn went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Rasmussen finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run and a walk. Martinez added a 2-for-4 day with two RBIs, and Oram scored three times, going 1-for-2 with a home run, RBI and a walk.
On the mound, Nolan Livsey was pivotal out of the bullpen, earning the win to improve to 4-0 on the season after tossing five innings. He allowed three earned runs while striking out four, stabilizing the game after an early back-and-forth start.
Colorado Christian mounted its biggest threat in the eighth inning, scoring four runs to cut the deficit to 8-7 and put pressure on the Roadrunners. However, MSU Denver answered immediately in the bottom half, capitalizing on a passed ball to score what proved to be a crucial insurance run and extend the lead to 9-7.
Drew Peters shut the door from there, recording the final five outs to earn his first save of the season, securing the win and the series for MSU Denver.
Despite the late push from Colorado Christian, the Roadrunners executed in key moments all afternoon, using timely hitting and clutch relief pitching to hold on in yet another close battle.
