COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team splits Friday's double header against No. 17 Metropolitan State University of Denver as the Mountain Lions grab game one 5-4 in extra innings, then fall to the Roadrunners 9-5 in game two at the MSUD Regency Athletic Complex.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Final: Game 1: UCCS 5, MSUD 4 | Game 2: UCCS 9, MSUD 5
Records: UCCS (13-6, 9-6 RMAC), MSUD (20-3, 16-3 RMAC)
Location: MSUD Regency Athletic Complex | Denver, Colo.
All-Time Series: UCCS trails in the all-time series with a 8-10 record against MSU Denver.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
• Redshirt Junior Evan Richards got the scoring started early for the Mountain Lions with a solo home run to right field in the top of the first for the 1-0 lead.
• UCCS starting pitcher Christian Manmano and the rest of the Mountain Lion defense held MSUD from scoring in the home half of the first by stranding a Roadrunner on second base as they retired MSU Denver in order through the second and third innings.
• In the fourth, the Mountain Lions added to their lead after a Matt Berg RBI double and a Jaeden Hegmann groundout to shortstop scored Matt McDermott and Jake Anderson for the 3-0 lead.
• Later in the inning, MSUD brought the game back to a one-run ballgame as a pair of doubles brought in one run and a Manmano balk scored a runner from third to bring the score to 3-2.
• After Hayden Salverda came in for relief to throw a scoreless fifth inning, MSUD battled back for the second consecutive night as they tied the game at 3-3 with a solo home run from Jake Williams in the bottom of the sixth.
• The Mountain Lions didn't bat an eye as they came back to retake the lead in the top of the seventh. McDermott leadoff the inning with a walk as an infield single from Anderson placed runners on first and second for UCCS. With Faragallah at the plate, situational baseball came into play with Faragallah laying down a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position for UCCS' batting average leader Hegmann. The redshirt junior came up to the plate and hit an infield RBI single as McDermott came across for the go-ahead run and 4-3 score with the top of the inning coming to an end to head into the home half of the seventh.  
• Redshirt Senior Nate Jenkins entered the game for the Mountain Lions where he retired the first two batters to place the Mountain Lions one out away from the win. But the Roadrunners had one more longball left in the tank as MSU Denver's Chase Anderson hit a solo home run to right field to take the game into extra innings for the second consecutive game.
• Nothing came across in the eighth inning for either team as the Mountain Lions' middle of the lineup got the job done once again in the ninth. Anderson was the first baserunner in the inning off a single through the right side as Faragallah drove a single through the left side for runners on first and second with one out. A strikeout came next for UCCS to put the Mountain Lions' back against the wall with Berg stepping into the box. After sending a double down the left field line earlier in the ballgame, Berg flipped the field to drive a double to right field and put the Mountain Lions in the driver's seat once again with a 5-4 lead.
• Jenkins then received a second chance to put the game away and he did just that with the help of the UCCS defense as a groundout, flyout, strikeout ended the game.
 
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME ONE
• Nate Jenkins registers his first win of the season after recording three innings of work and allowing one run off two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
• Christian Manmano pitched efficiently as the starter went a complete four innings, allowing two runs off three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
• Matt Berg and Jaeden Hegmann each notch two RBI in the win with Berg going 3-for-5 with two doubles and Hegmann finishing 1-for-5.
• Jake Anderson turns in a 2-for-3 day with two runs scored.
• UCCS tallied hits up and down the lineup with eight different Mountain Lions recording a hit as the team outhit MSU Denver 12-7 in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
• It took four innings of play until the first run came in as both UCCS and MSU Denver recorded two hits through the first three innings. UCCS starting pitcher Jon Sotto added two strikeouts in that time as the bottom of the fourth inning saw an MSU Denver run come across. A double led off the inning as an RBI single from Logan Soole gave the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.
• MSU Denver's one run sparked a three-run Mountain Lion inning in the top of the fifth as all three runs were driven in by way of home runs. The first long ball came off the bat of Evan Richards who tattooed a ball to right field for two RBI as he drove in Walker Rumsey who reach base off a leadoff single. Two batters later, cleanup hitter Jake Anderson topped off the inning with his ninth homer of the season after clearing the center field fence with a solo shot, bringing the score to a 3-1 UCCS lead.
• In the fourth, the Mountain Lions added to their lead after a Matt Berg RBI double and a Jaeden Hegmann groundout to the shortstop scored Matt McDermott and Jake Anderson for the 3-1 lead.
• The Roadrunners cut the deficit in half during the home half of the fifth inning with MSU Denver brining in one run after a sacrifice fly took the score to 3-2 heading into the sixth inning.
• Jaeden Hegmann got the top of the sixth inning started for the Mountain Lions with the help of a miscue from MSU Denver. Matt Berg was the next batter and recorded his first hit of the game with a single to right field as UCCS had runners on first and second with no outs. Freshman Tyler Richardson then received the sign from coach Hajek and laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position for pinch hitter Kiichi Sato. Up by one run, Sato sent a pitch back up the middle for a two-RBI single and two insurance runs as UCCS extended their lead to 5-2.
• UCCS' lead quickly faded as the Roadrunners got after the UCCS bullpen by scoring seven runs off four hits and one UCCS error. Three out of their four hits were extra base hits as a three-run home run and two RBI double off Joseph Harris brought the game to a final score of 9-5.
 
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
• Jon Sotto comes away with the no decision as the redshirt sophomore pitched five complete innings, allowing two runs off five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
• Walker Rumsey led the team with two hits after finishing the day 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
• Kiichi Sato's pinch hit at-bat led to a two-RBI single as Evan Richards added two RBI of his own with a 1-for-3 day at the plate which included a two-run home run and a run scored.
• UCCS stranded a game high seven runners, four of which were left in scoring position.

UP NEXT:
The Mountain Lions will be back in Denver, Colo. on Saturday, Apr. 3 as they cap off the conference road series with a 12 p.m. game at the MSUD Regency Athletic Complex.