Mesa State Mavericks (23-20) advanced to the RMAC championship game with three straight victories and faced the #4 ranked Metro State Roadrunners (46-4) in the final Saturday afternoon. In the double elimination format the Roadrunners needed to beat MSC twice (MSC handed Metro their first loss on Friday) to clinch the title.
Metro won the first game 19-6 and in the title game outlasted the Mavs in 10 innings winning 11-9. MSC battled back in the championship game scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 9-9. With MSC down to their last out they staged a comeback that started with Whitney Bailey's single up the middle moving Megan Smith (at first on a fielders choice) to second. Ashlee Duffy reached first on a fielding error and with the bases loaded, Lisa Pille hit single to right field scoring two runs to pull the Mavs to within 9-7. Another fielding error by the Roadrunners put Lita Romero at first, again loading the bases for Dani Vallie's double to right center, scoring two runs to tie the game at 9-9. Metro finally got out of the inning recording the last out on a strikeout.
After two scoreless extra innings the Roadrunners hit back-to-back home runs to left center in the top of the 10th inning to take an 11-9 lead. MSC was unable to answer back in the bottom half of the inning and fell to Metro State 11-9.
Metro led the game 9-3 after three innings and the Mavs battled back to score two runs in the fifth and four runs in the seventh.
MSC's Sara Jordan, Dani Vallie and Megan Smith were named to the All-Tournament Team.
All-Tournament Team
MVP – Molly Clark, Metro State
Sara Jordan, Mesa State
Tara Mickelson, Metro State
Danielle Vallie, Mesa State
Christie Robinson, Metro State
Megan Smith, Mesa State
Alisa Heronema, Regis
Bianca Holley, Regis
Kaleigh Starr, Colorado Mines
In game one of the championship the Roadrunners pounded out 20 hits posting a 19-6 win and forcing the 'if necessary' game. Metro scored at least one run in all but one inning (4th) and scored eight runs in the seventh. Despite five Roadrunner errors, MSC had six runs on eight hits.
The NCAA will release the regional pairings Monday morning.
