CHADRON, Neb. – April 3, 2021 – The Metropolitan State University of Denver Roadrunners left Chadron on Saturday with a sweep over Chadron State College on the softball diamond, after winning 11-2 and 9-3 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
CSC managed only five runs off 11 hits, for the day, batting .220 with an on-base percentage of .273.
By contrast, MSU Denver batted nearly twice as well, hitting .439, and reached base on exactly half of its at-bats.
The Eagles led briefly in game one, following a double by
Jessie Henchenski and an RBI single from
Ellie Owens in the bottom of the first.
Two runs in the second inning and three in the third crossed for MSU Denver, before CSC opted to send
Gabby Russell to the pitching circle in relief of starter
Tia Kohl.
The Eagles scored their second run in the third off a
Bailey Rominger RBI single, making the score 5-2.
A big inning for the Roadrunners came in the top of the sixth, ignited by a leadoff triple by Kami Grammerstorf. The Roadrunners piled up five five runs using four base hits, a pair of walks, a pair of sac flies, and a wild pitch.
MSU Denver starting pitcher Darby McGhee, now 7-2, finished up her complete game by retiring three CSC batters in order at the bottom of the inning.
Kohl dropped to 3-8 with the loss.
Later,
Peyton Propp fell to 3-8 in the circle for the Eagles, walking seven batters and giving up eight base hits.
MSU Denver took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, and never trailed. They were up 3-0 after three, before CSC got on the board.
In the bottom of the third, the Eagles made things a little more interesting.
Mackenzi Kroll laced a double to left center to lead off the inning, and
Angelica Maples followed up with a single, to put Kroll at third. Kroll scored on the next play, when
Samantha Conradie shot a grounder through the legs of the Roadrunners shortstop.
Sloane Quijas later made it a 3-2 game on a sac fly.
An RBI single by Quijas in the fourth knotted the game at three runs apiece.
Three consecutive Roadrunners walked in the sixth, and the next two batters singled, breaking the game open again at 6-3.
In the seventh, MSU Denver's Haley Doughty sent a pitch deep past the outfield bleachers for three more runs, and the game ended 9-3.
Destinee Lopez got her second win in as many days, pitching for the Roadrunners, and is now 4-0 on the year. She struck out eight CSC batters on Saturday.
Next up for the Eagles is a trip to Alamosa, Colorado, for another RMAC series at Adams State University. Those games begin at noon on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
