LAKEWOOD, Colo. – No. 3 seed MSU Denver opened RMAC Tournament play in dominant fashion Thursday afternoon, defeating No. 6 seed Colorado School of Mines 9-1 in six innings at All-Star Park to advance to the semifinals.
With the victory, the Roadrunners move on to face No. 2 seed CSU Pueblo on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
MSU Denver used another strong outing from Natalie Romero to take control early and never let the Orediggers gain momentum.
Romero tossed a complete game, allowing just one unearned run on four hits across six innings while continuing to showcase the defense that earned her RMAC Gold Glove honors. The right-hander was involved in eight of the game's 18 outs directly from the circle and improved to 15-9 on the season with the win.
The Roadrunners struck first in the opening inning behind aggressive baserunning and situational offense. Lexi Gephart helped manufacture an early run with one of her two sacrifice bunts before Victoria Pearson drove in a run with an RBI single to give MSU Denver an early advantage.
The turning point came in the fifth inning when the Roadrunners broke the game open with back-to-back home runs. Brooklyn Enny launched a solo homer to left field before Neila Lucero followed immediately with a solo shot of her own, extending the lead to 6-1 and giving MSU Denver full control of the game.
MSU Denver added the finishing touches in the sixth inning. Gephart started the rally with a single before the Roadrunners loaded the bases. Shay Cwelich delivered an RBI single up the middle, Enny drew a bases-loaded walk, and Lucero capped the afternoon with another RBI single to push the lead to 9-1 and trigger the run rule.
Offensively, Pearson finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a stolen base at the top of the lineup. Enny continued her standout season by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a home run, a walk, and a run scored, while Lucero added a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs, including her home run. Natalie Shellhorn also collected two hits and scored a run, and Gephart contributed a key all-around performance with a hit, a run scored, and two sacrifice bunts that helped spark multiple scoring innings.
With the win, the Roadrunners advance deeper into postseason play and will now prepare for a semifinal showdown Friday afternoon against CSU Pueblo.
