COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — MSU Denver's offense erupted in historic fashion in the opener before running into a mid-game surge from UCCS in the second contest of the day, as the Roadrunners split a Friday doubleheader on the road. MSU Denver moves to 34-18 overall and 27-15 in RMAC play following the 17-4 win and 10-5 loss.
GAME ONE: MSU Denver 17, UCCS 4
In game one, the Roadrunners delivered their most explosive performance of the season, piling up 17 runs on 14 hits, including a season-high five home runs, to run-rule UCCS 17-4 in five innings.
Trinity Kennemer set the tone immediately, launching a solo home run in the first inning to give MSU Denver an early lead. UCCS answered with two runs in the first and added two more in the second to take a 4-1 advantage, putting early pressure on the Roadrunners.
That momentum flipped quickly in the third inning. Victoria Pearson opened the frame with a solo shot to cut the deficit to two, and MSU Denver kept the line moving from there. RBI singles from Janessa Esquibel and Natalie Shellhorn tied the game at 4-4 before Lexi Gephart delivered the decisive blow—a bases-clearing double that pushed the Roadrunners in front 7-4.
Kennemer crushed her second home run of the game in the fourth, Cheyenne Prieto followed with a homer of her own, and Mackenzie Pearson added a sacrifice fly as part of a six-run inning. The Roadrunners tacked on four more in the fifth, highlighted by Esquibel's three-run blast—her first collegiate home run—to cap the scoring at 17-4.
Esquibel led the offensive onslaught with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, driving in four runs and scoring three times. Kennemer went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three runs scored, and two RBIs, while Victoria Pearson added three RBIs on two hits. Gephart finished with three RBIs, and Prieto scored three times.
In the circle, Natalie Romero (14-9) earned the win, tossing all five innings while allowing four runs on six hits and working out of early trouble before settling in during MSU Denver's offensive explosion.
GAME TWO: UCCS 10, MSU Denver 5
Game two saw a much different script. MSU Denver again struck first, as Kennemer continued her huge day with a two-run homer in the opening inning to give the Roadrunners a 2-0 lead.
However, UCCS responded immediately and decisively. A five-run second inning flipped the game, as the Mountain Lions strung together six hits to take a 6-2 lead. They added two more runs in the third, capitalizing on an error and timely situational hitting to extend the margin to 8-2.
Kianna Butler (10-4) took the loss after allowing six runs in just two innings of work. Samantha Mader provided stability out of the bullpen, throwing four innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits while keeping MSU Denver within reach.
The Roadrunners showed life in the fifth inning when Neila Fee blasted a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 8-5, but that would be as close as MSU Denver would get. UCCS answered with two solo home runs in the sixth inning to push the lead back to five and seal the 10-5 final.
Kennemer paced the offense again in game two, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Fee's three-run homer accounted for the bulk of the scoring. Despite drawing five walks and collecting eight hits, MSU Denver stranded nine runners and couldn't overcome UCCS's big middle innings.
They will be back in action again tomorrow to close out the regular season with another doubleheader against UCCS starting at 11 a.m. MT.
