Metro 4 – Mesa State 0

The Metro softball team won four games March 6 and 7, sweeping pre-season Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference West Division favorites Mesa State College to stay lossless in conference play.

“We’re very, very happy to beat a team like that,” Head Coach Jen Fisher said. “We got, kind of, a little bit lucky to sweep, but the girls had the opportunity and they met it with the challenge of hard work.”

The Roadrunners opened up the scoring March 6 putting up two runs in the first inning and taking an early lead that they would not relinquish.

Pitcher Christie Robinson set the tone for the defense, pitching all seven innings allowing only one earned run and striking out five. The ‘Runners took game one 4-2.

In game two, pitcher Brittany Moss completed Metro’s one-two pitching-punch with a 10 strike-out performance, including five straight strikeouts, while pitching a complete game.

“She [Brittany Moss] was really good and she was so solid on defense,” Fisher said. “[She] just kept her composure and kept after it and she got the big strikeouts when we needed them.”

Pitcher Christie Robinson throws a pitch during a home game against Regis University Feb. 28 at Auraria Field. The Roadrunners swept Mesa State 4-0 March 6 and 7 in Grand Junction. File photo by Matt Gypin

Pitcher Aubree Maul had her first career hit in the second inning, driving in right fielder Danni Hedstrom as Metro again took the early lead. With a runner on base, left fielder Jennessa Tesone sent a two-run home run over the left field fence, putting the Mavericks down 3-0 after three innings.

“[I was] just really trying to focus on the little things,” Maul said.

Maul struck again in the fourth inning, bringing in a run off a double to right field and scoring a run off second baseman Sarah Rusch’s left field single.

“We had the opportunity to DH (designate hit) Aubree (Maul) and she has just been working so hard,” Fisher said. “We always tease her that she does not act like a freshman at all. She’s very mature.”

Mesa center fielder Gabriella Parra gave Moss her only earned run in the bottom of the fourth but it wouldn’t matter as Maul scored her second run of the game due to a single from center fielder Kelli Nishikida. Metro won the game 6-1.

With the win Moss improved to 4-1.

Metro exploded out of the gate March 7 with an 11-5 game-one win over the Mavericks.

Down by one going into the fourth inning, shortstop Amber Roundtree started the scoring for Metro with a home run to left field as the Runners went on to score two more, bringing the score to 3-1 after the top of the fourth inning.

Mesa third baseman Whitney Bailey led off the bottom of the fourth with a homer to left field to help the Mavericks tie up the game at three going into the fifth inning.

First baseman Jessica Haab and outfielder Molly Clark opened up the fifth with a pair of back-to-back home runs which were later followed by back-to-back home runs courtesy of Rusch and third baseman Tara Mickelson. Metro went-off for five runs and ended the fifth up 8-5 but the scoring was not done.

“That’s what we are capable of,” Fisher said. “[Assistant] Coach [Venessa] Becerra said it best, she said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you guys to do that to somebody.’ I think it took a lot of gas out of them [Mesa].”

Rush put the game away in the sixth inning as she belted a three-run home run to left field, putting the Runners up 11-5 for good.

“They were just dialed in,” Fisher said. “It was fun.”

Robinson improved to 4-0 on the season as she pitched her second complete game in two days.

Metro completed the sweep with a 5-4 win in the last game as pitcher Juia Diehl improved to 5-0, and tied CSU-Pueblo’s Justine Bosio for most wins in the RMAC.

“I try not to pay attention to that,” Diehl said. “I just try to do my personal best and hope that it comes out with a win.”

The Roadrunners improved to 11-1 on the season overall with a RMAC leading 8-0 conference record. The road trip continues for Metro as they head to Alamosa for a conference series against Adams State College March 13 and 14.