The CCU baseball team celebrated Senior Day at All Star Park today, recognizing 14 players who will not be returning for the 2019 season before game one of Saturdays doubleheader. Following the ceremony, the Cougars split the day with the MSU Denver Roadrunners, winning game 1 by a score of 2-1, and losing game two 8-1.
 
Game 1:
 
CCU started off game one in a most poetic fashion, when recently celebrated senior Austin Atkerson launched a home run to give the Cougars an early 1-0 lead. Atkerson was visibly emotional rounding the bases, no doubt filled with a bitter-sweet sense of accomplishment for his senior teammates.
 
The game would remain the same score until MSUD took advantage of a trio of walks in the top of the 4^th inning, eventually scoring on a single that squeezed through the left side of the infield, scoring one to even the game at 1-1.
 
Evan Fink would get out a growing jam in the top of the 7^th inning when a Roadrunner batter grounded out to second base, and the runner was called for interference, forcing a third out to end the inning.
 
With the game tied and two outs, senior Cooper Gray would take a pitch off his forearm to be given a free pass to first. Gray would steal his 22^nd base of the season to get himself into scoring position for fellow senior Jerry Gallegos who was in the batter's box. Gallegos worked the count to 2-2, and on the sixth pitch of the at bat sent the ball sharply into left field, bringing Gray in for the walk-off win, and being mauled at first base by his entire team.
 
The win gave the Cougars their 12^th RMAC victory, a new single season record for CCU, with six games left to play this season.
 
Starting pitcher Evan Fink followed up his dominant showing last week as Colorado School of Mines with another gem, tossing seven innings and allowing just one run on two hits for his first complete game of the season, and second of his career. All seven hits in the game came from seven different hitters, included the five that the Cougars managed in this pitcher's duel.
 
Game 2:
 
The second game of the day did not go the Cougars way, as the Roadrunners jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after just the first inning and never trailed in the contest. Ultimately the Roadrunners would take the weekends third game by a score of 8-1.
 
The Cougars lone run came in the bottom of the 4^th inning when senior Scotty Wright lifted his first homerun of the season over the left field wall, cutting into the lead and making it a 2-1 game at that point.
 
Taking the mound for the Cougars in this game was Alex Ginn, normally reserved for relief duties, but made his first start of the season, going four innings allowing just two runs while striking out six batters before being replaced. All together CCU would go through five pitchers in the seven-inning game, combining for a total of eight strike outs, three walks, and four hit batters.
 
The Cougars are still mathematically alive for the post-season, but they will need a lot of chips to fall their way over the next week or so if they are to make it to their first RMAC Tournament in program history. CCU will complete their series against Metro State on Sunday the 28^th with one final game at All Star Park in 2018, first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.