GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – In the wild, wild world of the RMAC Softball Tournament, MSU Denver is still standing heading into Saturday after knocking off 24^th-ranked and top-seeded host Colorado Mesa 6-5 in a Friday night elimination game.
 
Miki Berg and Aaliyah Arellano hit second-inning solo home runs to put the Roadrunners ahead 2-1, Hannah DiFabio broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run single that led to a four-run fourth-inning uprising, and Cheyenne Prieto kept the high-powered Mesa offense in check over the final two innings to earn her third save of the season.
 
"What a tough and fun game," MSU Denver coach Annie Van Wetzinga said. "Both teams competed really hard, and it was a really quality college softball game."

MSU Denver (43-17) advances to an 11 a.m. elimination game Saturday against 10^th-ranked and second-seeded Colorado Christian (48-7). The winner moves into the championship round to face fifth-seeded upstart Regis (31-24), which has shocked both Mesa and Colorado Christian and is one win away from stealing a bid to the NCAA Tournament's South Central Regional by winning the RMAC Tournament.
 
MSU Denver (or Colorado Christian) would need to win three games Saturday, including beating Regis twice, to win the RMAC championship. Regis needs to win just once.
 
Maddy Wilson (12-3) turned in a strong starting pitching effort for MSU Denver, holding the Mavericks to two runs before surrendering a three-run homer in the fifth that made it 6-5. Only two runs against Wilson were earned, as MSU Denver committed a two-out fielding error that extended the inning prior to the homer.
 
Prieto didn't allow a hit and pitched around two seventh-inning walks to secure her third save of the season.
 
"The combination and Maddy and Cheyenne in the circle was awesome," Van Wetzinga said. "They battled and stayed composed with a tough strike zone."
 
Berg, Arellano, Kami Grammerstorf and Shelby Robb all had two hits for MSU Denver. Robb drove in a run with a fourth-inning single, and MSU Denver's final run scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Roadrunners had six runs (two earned) on six hits against Colorado Mesa starter Hannah Sattler (13-3), who three weeks ago had two no-hit bids against MSU Denver, allowing just two runs on five hits over 14 innings in two complete-game wins.
 
"Our hitters did a good job of working together, and I was really happy with our attack at the plate," Van Wetzinga said.
 
Colorado Mesa dropped to 44-9, but is expected to advance to the regional tournament, as is Colorado Christian. MSU Denver's position is a little less secure.
 
Colorado Christian was third, Mesa sixth and MSU Denver seventh in this week's region rankings. The champions from the RMAC and Lone Star Tournaments earn automatic bids, and the six highest-ranked teams that didn't win titles qualify as at-large entrants.
 
In the Lone Star, region No. 1 Texas-Tyler meets No. 2 West Texas A&M in Saturday's single-elimination championship. No. 8 St. Mary's (Texas) lost in the semifinals, as did No. 9 Lubbock Christian (Texas).
 
It seems possible (but not guaranteed) that even if Regis wins the RMAC title, MSU Denver would still get into the NCAA field. The Roadrunners were 2-1 against St. Mary's this season, however Lubbock Christian, beat region No. 4 Angelo State (Texas) before losing to Texas-Tyler so it's not out of the question that the Chaps could pass MSU Denver.