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Story Photo BSB at MSUD 4.26
Isaiah J. Downing

Baseball Clinches Berth in RMAC Tournament Despite Pair of Losses at MSU Denver

4/26/2025 6:00:00 PM

By: Jake Ross, Assistant Sports Information Director
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DENVER, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs qualifies for the 2025 RMAC Baseball Championship Tournament despite dropping both games of Saturday's doubleheader to Metropolitan State University of Denver.

INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
  • Final Game One: UCCS 6, MSUD 7 | Game Two: UCCS 3, MSUD 18
  • Records: UCCS (22-20, 11-14 RMAC) | MSUD (28-17, 20-7)
  • Facility | Location: Assembly Athletic Complex – Baseball Diamond| Denver, Colo.
  • All-Time Series: UCCS drops to 11-24 all-time vs MSU Denver.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED | Game One
  • Mikey Brinton and Bryce Peterson wasted no time getting UCCS on the board in the away half of the first inning, with both coming around to score in the first two at-bats. Brinton's single up the middle broke the ice in the leadoff spot, with Peterson launching a homer to left center, as UCCS took the 2-0 lead in their first trip to the plate.
  • MSU Denver picked up where they left off on Friday evening when Erubiel Ortiz blasted a solo shot of his own, after his teammates combined for five big flies in game one. The homer would be the only hit of the inning, as UCCS maintained the 2-1 lead after an inning of play.
  • UCCS went quietly in the second inning, with MSU Denver getting even in the bottom of the frame. Back to back doubles began the inning for the Roadrunners, with the hits putting runners on second and third with no one out. Royce Vandine reached as the third batter on a UCCS defensive error, with Gavin Schmeh grounding into a double play, but plating the tying run in the process. Brooks Rasmussen then came up with an infield single to score the go ahead run from third in Easton Amundson, as MSU took their first lead of the game 3-2.
  • The back and forth continued in the third with Caleb Stubbings doubling home Kit Wigington, but Jesse Velders matched the run in the bottom of the third with a solo home run, as MSU Denver led by one after three innings 4-3.
  • Both squads would score in the fourth, but the frame saw UCCS get two runs this time around. Trevor Dale led off with a home run to right center, with Mikey Brinton and Bryce Peterson following the shortstop with back-to-back singles. Kit Wigington and Hayden Iverson would both be retired before Caleb Stubbings singled to right to score Brinton and move Peterson to second. Caleb Chance would fly out and strand the pair, but UCCS was back in front 5-4.
  • MSU Denver turned to their power once again, as this time it was Royce Vandine going deep for a solo homer, as the hosts tied it at five, headed to the fifth.
  • The fifth came and went without incident for both teams, but UCCS  broke the stalemate to start the sixth with a leadoff blast from Mikey Brinton to give UCCS the 6-5 lead.
  • UCCS set the Roadrunners down in order in the bottom of the sixth, with MSU Denver nearly returning the favor to start the seventh. A two out single for Quinn Medin was the only baserunner in top half of the final frame, but Medin was stranded.
  • In the bottom of the seventh, Joe Plise came on, but struggled with command after earning a lead-off ground out. Erubiel Ortiz doubled down the right field line, then move to third on a passed ball, with Jesse Velders walking to put runners on the corners. River Jackson came in to run at first, moving up to second on a passed ball that scored Ortiz to tie the game 6-6. After Cam Yuran flied out, Andrew Graham was the hero for the Roadrunners as he knocked a single to left to score Jackson, giving MSU Denver the 7-6 walk off victory.
 
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
  • Home runs were a plenty for the second straight game, with the teams combining for six homers as they did on Friday evening, this time split evenly at three a side.
  • Mikey Brinton was a perfect 3-3 at the plate including a walk, and a home run.
  • Kobe Krenz (2-2) gets the win after three closing innings of work, as Joe Plise (1-3) takes the loss in relief for UCCS.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
  • It was all MSU Denver in game three as the Roadrunners ambushed to Mountain Lions for seven runs in the first two innings of the nightcap on Saturday. Erubiel Ortiz and Jesse Velders went double, home run in back-to-back plate appearances in the first to start the push, with six Roadrunners reaching in the second, highlighted by Ortiz's one out grand slam to put the hosts up 7-2 and chase James Harbison from the mound after just an inning and two thirds.
  • The parade of Roadrunners continued in the fourth after MSU Denver added an eighth run in the third. The fourth began again with Ortiz, this time with a lead off walk, as Velders followed with an RBI double. Cam Yuran flied out for the first out, but then Andrew Graham, Easton Amundson, Gavin Schmeh, and Hayes Edens all reached with the stretch going: single, RBI double, 2 RBI double, and 2 run home run. After a pitching change, River Jackson would double then later steal home, as UCCS was down 15-2 when the dust settled.
  • The Roadrunners and Mountain Lions would both add a run in the fifth, as MSU Denver also tallied two runs in the sixth, as UCCS was stunned 18-3 in game three.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
  • UCCCS was out hit 21-10 in game three as the Mountain Lions allowed another five home runs, including a grand slam.
  • James Harbison (3-1) suffers his first loss of the year with Drew Peters (4-1) taking the win after 6.0 innings of work.
 
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Involved in the double play in the second inning of game 2, Caleb Stubbings passes Matt McDermott and set a new UCCS Baseball record for double plays turned at 129. He has combined as part of 30 this season for the Mountain Lions.
  • Despite the doubleheader sweep, UCCS qualifies for the 2025 RMAC Baseball Championship Tournament thanks to Colorado Christian's 6-5 defeat of Colorado School of Mines.
 
UP NEXT
  • UCCS finishes their series with MSU Denver with game four tomorrow at 12 p.m. in downtown Denver.
 
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
 
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