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Home > Sports

Photos byTyler Walton • twalton2@mscd.edu

Metro splits series, continues to break even in RMAC

By Kate Ferraro
kferraro@mscd.edu

After 18 years of not having a women’s softball team, the Metro Roadrunners played their first home games March 8 and 9 at the new Auraria softball field last weekend.

But the Roadrunners couldn’t christen their new ballpark with a win, falling 6-5 against Adams State in the opener on Saturday.

Trailing 6-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Metro tried to fight back, but could only produce three more runs the rest of the way. Third baseman Jennessa Tesone and center fielder Molly Clark both hit their second home runs of the season in the third and fourth inning.

Starting pitcher Jessica Fisher pitched a complete game in the losing effort, but had a rough outing allowing 11 hits and six runs.

“They have a really good pitcher that kept us off balance,” Metro head coach Jennifer Fisher said. “We didn’t make the plays that we needed to on defense early on.”

The second game of the doubleheader was a different story. The game was scoreless at the beginning of the second inning but by the end of inning, Metro had almost gone through the batting order twice. The Roadrunners scored 12 runs in the second inning, and forced the Grizzlies to change pitchers twice.

The inning started with a double to left field by first baseman Caitlin Jenks, and the onslaught began. There were no home runs in the inning, but four doubles did enough damage including one from catcher Nicole (Dante) Lyles, who drove in two of the runs.

“She’s seeing the ball well and doing a good job not giving up,” Coach Fisher said on Lyles’ performance. “She understands it only takes one pitch.”

The mercy rule was called in the middle of the fifth inning, giving Metro an easy 12-1 win. Starter pitcher Libby Balogh, who took a shutout into the final inning, recorded her second win of the season. Along with only allowing one run, Balogh allowed six hits and struck out five Grizzlies.

“It’s definitely a team effort,” Balogh said. “I feel confident out there with my team behind me.”

The first game of the doubleheader the following day went into extra innings. Unfortunately, the only run in the game that favored the Roadrunners was a solo home run in the third inning from first baseman Jessica Haab. Starting pitcher Casey Thompson pitched a complete game only allowing six hits in eight innings and struck out six.

But the offense couldn’t produce enough runs to take home the victory as the Grizzlies scored their runs in the first and eighth innings.

In game two, the end result was determined by only one run as well. The Roadrunners were down in the sixth inning 3-2 before Tesone tied the game at three with a solo home run. Lyles followed in her footsteps with a homer of her own, capturing a 4-3 win for the home team.

Fisher started the game, but was relieved by Balogh in the fifth inning after she gave up five hits and three runs. Balogh finished the game only allowing two more hits with no runs, gaining her third win of the season, and second on the weekend.

“She’s seeing the ball well and battling,” coach Fisher said on Balogh’s performance. “She keeps hitters off balance.”

Metro’s new program is now 6-4 in the RMAC with a 10-9 record overall. Metro will travel to Pueblo where they will compete against CSU-Pueblo in a four-game series on March 15 and 16.

“I just felt so cool being able to go out there and say I started the first softball game at Metro,” Lyles said.