DENVER, CO – A pair of potential wins turned into two heart-breaking losses for the University of Mary baseball team as Metropolitan State University at Denver rallied for two walk-off wins over the visiting Marauders. The Roadrunners, who have spent time in the national rankings, claimed 11-10 and 9-8 victories over UMary.
 
GAME 1:
In a wild contest that featured five lead changes, the University of Mary baseball team was edged out by Metropolitan State University of Denver in a 9^th inning walk-off win for the Roadrunners.  
 
Bryce Leafgren provided an immediate jolt for the Marauders with a first inning home run. Following a 2-run second inning for MSUD, UMary regained the lead with five runs in the third. Both Leafgren and Marcus Butts delivered 2-run doubles with Kieran Gaffney following with a run-scoring single for a 6-2 lead.  
 
Trailing 9-6 after the Roadrunners scored seven straight runs, the Marauders fought back in the eighth to take a 10-9 lead. Andrew Linn knocked home the first run on a single through the left side of the infield before Cru Walker socked a 2-run home run to tie the game. Hank Griffin pushed UMary in front on a ground rule double to center to score Hudsen Sheldon.
 
Unable to score in the eighth, the Roadrunners went for the dramatic finish with two runs in the ninth as a Blake Wilson single to left scored the walk-off winner.
 
Leafgren drove in three runs, scored twice and had a double and a home run. Kalem Haney knocked out three hits and scored a run. Cullen Wilson had a pair of hits. Linn scored twice and scored a run. In addition to hitting his first home run of the season, Walker scored twice and drove in two runs.
 
Ryan Chamberlain pitched 6.1 innings for UMary, striking out seven with no walks.
 
Lathan Blizzard hit a home run, drove in four runs and scored three times for the Roadrunners.
 
GAME 2: MSUD 9 UMary 8
In a game of scoring streaks, the Marauders scored the first eight runs of game two. Unfortunately for the visitors the Roadrunners responded with a streak one run better as MSUD scored the final nine.  
 
First inning home runs by Mason Saint Hilarie and Rhett Chisholm keyed a six-run outburst for UMary before the Marauders even threw a pitch
 
UMary started fast with three straight singles, the third by Bryce Leafgren to score Luke Rhee. With one out, Saint Hilarie jumped on the first offering he saw and blasted a 3-run home run to left field. Following a walk to Kieran Gaffney, Chisholm cracked a 2-run home run to cap the 6-run outburst.
 
UMary then added single runs in each the second and third innings, the second coming on a Mikey Ramirez base hit through the right side of the infield.
 
As the Marauders were piling up runs, Jason Hanson held the Roadrunners in check with three straight scoreless innings. MSUD eventually broke through with a single run in the fourth and two in the fifth. A four-run outburst in the sixth closed the gap to 8-7, setting up a dramatic seventh inning.
 
Lathan Buzard, who had doubled home two runs in the sixth for the Roadrunners, ended the game in the seventh with a 2-out 2-run home run to left to give MSUD a second straight walk-off win.
 
Luke Rhee paced the 11-hit Marauders (6-10 overall) attack with three of his own. He scored two runs. Leafgren added two hits. He both scored and drove in a run. Kieran Gaffney also scored twice for UMary. Overall eight Marauders had a hit in the game.
 
Buzard led the Roadrunners (16-6 overall) efforts with two hits and four RBIs. Noah Wicks scored three runs. Michael Deitz hit two home runs and drove in three.
 
The Marauders make their home debut next weekend when UMary hosts Southwest Minnesota State University in a four-game set on Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22.
 
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