COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team sealed a series win on Friday after a double-header sweep of Metropolitan State University Denver at Mountain Lion Park, thanks to an 8-0 shutout win in game one and an 8-6 win in game two.

Jake Anderson helped lead the UCCS offense by recording four hits between both games, tallying five RBI with a home run and a double on the day. Matt Berg did damage from the two-spot in the lineup as he also had four hits while adding four RBI and five runs scored. Starting pitchers Colin Cicere and Christian Manmano each bagged a win on Friday as Manmano notched his third straight win to move to 4-0 on the season, and Cicere throwing a three-hit shutout.

In game one, UCCS carried their stellar defensive play and pitching from Thursday into a complete game shutout on Friday, as Cicere allowed only three hits on his way to five strikeouts in seven innings of work.

The Roadrunners had the opportunity to put runs across in the first and eighth innings as they had bases loaded in each of those innings. However, a line drive put out from Matt McDermott in the first, and a groundball put out from Anderson at third base in the seventh kept MSU Denver scoreless.

The Mountain Lions just needed three innings to put up their eight runs as one run in the third, two runs in the fifth, and a five-run sixth inning topped off the eight-run win.

Walker Rumsey was able to reach base on a walk in the third inning to lead off for the Mountain Lions, as Rumsey eventually came around to score in part to a Berg groundball.

After posting a one-two-three inning in the top half of the fifth, Berg got the inning going with a double down the right field line in the home half of the fifth. Anderson followed up with an RBI single, as Anderson made his way to third with an Evan Richards single. Cody Norton then sent Anderson home with sacrifice fly to right field to bring the UCCS lead to 3-0 after five innings of play.

With the game still well within reach for the Roadrunners, UCCS came back in the sixth inning to tack on five more insurance runs. Another double from Berg put two runs on the board as a two-run home run by Anderson, and a solo shot from Norton topped off the four-hit, five-run inning.

In game two, the Mountain Lions topped the Roadrunners 8-6 in what was a tightly contested game where the UCCS pitching staff came up big.

The Roadrunners struck first as a triple led to a sacrifice fly in the first inning to obtain an early 1-0 lead. However, in the bottom of the first, UCCS saw MSU Denver's one run and raised three of their own as two consecutive walks placed runners on first and second. The hot-hitting Ryan Schmidt then came up from the clean up spot to deliver a three-run home run to left field and claim a 3-1 lead.

MSU Denver was shutout in the second and third inning but made their way back into the game with a single run in the fourth and fifth inning to tie the game up at 3-3.

Similar to the first inning, the Roadrunners were only able to hold onto their lead for a half inning as Matthew Clarke got the Mountain Lions going with a double in the bottom of the fifth inning. A line drive up the middle by Berg then placed runners on first and third with the RBI machine Jake Anderson up to bat. Anderson was able to lay off a wild pitch to allow Clarke to score, with Berg advancing to second on the play. In what ended up being an eight pitch at-bat, Anderson came out on top with an RBI single to center to recapture the UCCS lead, 5-3.

Manmano entered the sixth inning with a two-run lead as he faced Logan Soole to start the inning. Working ahead to a 0-2 count, Manmano left the next pitch up where Soole ran into a solo home run to cut into the UCCS lead.

Head Coach Dave Hajek then called for Dagin Renck's number in the bullpen, ending Manmano's five inning day. Renck was able to grab one out from the nation's home run leader, Matt Malkin, with a pop up to first base. But the following hitter got on base with a single to end a quick outing for Renck.

Reliever Cam Aufderheide was the next pitcher to be called into the game as the Mountain Lions held a one-run lead in the sixth inning with one out. A UCCS miscue followed by a single quickly loaded the bases for MSU Denver as the Mountain Lions still had one out. From there, Aufderheide put the game on his shoulders with big time back-to-back strikeouts to leave three Roadrunners on base, and maintain the 5-4 lead.

In need of insurance runs, UCCS came together to score three runs on two outs as four extra base hits gave the Mountain Lions an 8-4 lead. As two strikeouts started the inning for UCCS, Matt McDermott stepped up and laced a double off the top of the left center fence to walk into second base safely. McDermott then came around to score with Clarke hitting a flare down the right field line to register his second double of the game. Not yet finished, Berg swung at a first pitch fastball to drive a ball down the left field line to score Clarke on an RBI triple. Anderson took note of Berg's at-bat and drove the first pitch into the left center gap to cap off the three-run inning.

The MSU Denver Roadrunners came to make one last push in the top of the seventh as senior Joe Slocum came into the game to seal the win for UCCS. A solo shot brought the game within two runs for the Roadrunners, but Slocum bounced back to strikeout the last batter and record a save.

The Mountain Lions (26-15, 18-9 RMAC) now slide up to fourth place in the RMAC as they sit tied with the same conference record as MSU Denver (25-14, 18-9 RMAC) heading into the final game of the series.

UCCS and the Roadrunners will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as game four is set to start at 12 p.m. at Mountain Lion Park.