DENVER— Pitchers Paige Adair and Ellie Smith did not give up a single earned run as a 2-run first-game homer by Lauren Wedman and a go-ahead Smith single in the second led the Colorado Mesa University softball team to an opening day doubleheader sweep over Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason favorite MSU Denver on Sunday afternoon here at the Roadrunner's Regency Athletic Complex.
 
The Mavericks, playing for the first time in 357 days, after winning four consecutive RMAC regular season titles from 2016-19 before finishing a strong 10-2 in conference play during last year's COVID-19 shortened season, claimed 3-0 and 2-1 wins over the Roadrunners, who had been picked first in the preseason coaches' poll.
 
CMU was picked third in the poll although both teams as well as Colorado Christian, picked second, all received four first place votes.
 
Game 1
 
Adair tossed a 5-hit complete game shutout as she struck out seven Roadrunners while giving up just one walk.
 
Meanwhile, the Mavericks gave her all of the run support she would need in the top of the third as Nicole Christensen reached third on a lead-off error in left field before Ashley Bradford drove her home with an RBI single.  Wedman then delivered a 2-run home run to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead.
 
The CMU defense was also impressive.
 
In the bottom half of the third inning, the Roadrunners' Kassi Reiger singled to begin the inning before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt and passed ball.  However, the Maverick defense gunned her down at the plate on a Rebecca Gonzales fielder's choice to short as Adair struck out Megan Sansburn to get out of the jam.
 
The Maverick defense also made a play in the fourth as Camryn Mullen caught a 1-out Whitnee Alexander line drive before doubling off Kayla Banks, who had hit a 1-out double.
 
The Mavericks then left two runners on base in both the fifth and sixth innings although Adair was not fazed, setting down the Roadrunners in order in the sixth.  MSU Denver would put two runners on with just one out in the seventh before another heads-up play by Bradford at short, helped CMU close out the game on back-to-back fielder's choices.
 
Wedman went 2-for-4 in the game as the Mavericks out-hit the hosts, 6-5.  Smith, Brooke Doumer and pinch-hitter Sarah Staudle also had hits in the victory.
 
Roadrunner hurler Darby McGhee took the loss despite striking out nine Mavericks without giving up a walk.
 
Game 2
 
The Roadrunners would bounce back to take their only lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the second as they scored an unearned run on a double steal after an error, wild pitch and single had set up a 1-out, first and third situation.
 
However, Smith got out of the inning with minimal damage as the game moved along to the seventh with the 1-0 score.
 
Needing at least one run to tie the game, the Mavericks were down to their final out as freshman Ally Distler hit a game-tying 2-out double to plate Wedman, who had drawn a 1-out walk.  Smith then plated Distler with what ended up being the game-winning RBI single to put the Mavs ahead 2-1 going to the last half-inning.
 
Shelby Robb then singled to begin the bottom half for MSU Denver but was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice.  Another infield single by Olivia Dampier then put the potential winning run on base before a pop out to left and a fielder's choice to Christensen at third gave the victory to the Mavs.
 
Smith allowed just six hits and two walks in the complete game victory while Christensen went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Maverick offense, which finished with a dozen hits, twice as many as the Roadrunners' six.  Distler also went 2-for-4.
 
McGhee took her second loss of the day in relief of Banks, who gave up 10 hits but no runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
 
The teams will play another doubleheader on Monday, beginning at 11 a.m.