DENVER – Senior outfielder Trevor Crow had three hits but the University of Sioux Falls Baseball Team (0-4) dropped a nonconference game with Metro State (3-5) on Saturday afternoon at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver.

Originally the game was scheduled for a double header but cold weather forced the teams to modify the game into a nine inning affair.

The Roadrunners broke from a 1-1 tie by putting together a four-run fourth for a 5-1 lead. USF added two runs in the fifth inning and one in the eighth to crawl within 5-4. However, MSU added a run in the bottom of the eight and held off the Cougars in the ninth inning.

Crow, who is now hitting .571 on the season, had three hits, including a triple and scored a pair of runs. Senior outfielder Noah Durkin added a hit, two RBU and stole three bases. Connor Merriam had two hits while Gunner Peterson had a base hit and two RBI. USF finished with eight hits and committed one error. However, USF was hurt by leaving nine runners on base.

Senior Zachary Miller (0-2) suffered his second loss of the season as he allowed six hits on five runs with four walks and a season-high five strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Christian Lazar finished the fourth inning with 1/3 inning of one hit ball. Freshman Keenahn Coyle finished for USF with an effective outing. He allowed just three hits and a run in four innings of work. Coyle recorded a strikeout in facing 16 batters, retiring seven on ground outs.

Cale O'Donnell had two hits and three RBI to lead MSU, which totaled 10 hits and stranded 12 runners.

The Cougars tied the game at 1-1 when Crow tripled and scoring on an RBI groundout by Peterson. Down 5-1, USF rallied with two runs in the fifth inning as Durkin had a two-run single which plated Cole Sweeney and Peterson. The Cougars added its final run when Peterson reached on an error by MSU, which scored Crow, who had singled with two out.

Next for USF will be a doubleheader against MSU at noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Notes -- USF outfielder Trevor Crow is hitting .571 with eight hits in 14 at bats this season. He has a team-high seven runs scored and owns a .668 OBP with a 1.286 slugging percentage...catcher Connor Merriam is also hot with a .467 batting average on six hits in 11 at bats. He has a slugging mark of .933. Also outfielder Rob Johnson is batting .545 with a .600 OBP. He has six hits in 11 at bats. As a team the Cougars are hitting .411 with 34 runs scored in four games over more than eight per outing. USF has 16 extra base hits after four games.