ThunderWolves use late comeback to claim doubleheader split.
LAKEWOOD, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - March 30, 2012) - CSU-Pueblo held on to first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings Friday by posting a doubleheader split with Colorado Christian, recovering from a 6-5 setback in the early game to win the late game 13-10.
With the split, CSU-Pueblo remains the leader in a logjam atop the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings, currently sitting just .015 percentage points above both Colorado Christian and Fort Lewis. CSU-Pueblo holds a 15-7 conference record while both Colorado Christian and Fort Lewis have 16-8 marks.
The ThunderWolves nearly pulled off an impressive comeback in the first game as it looked to erase a 6-0 deficit.
In the sixth inning and trailing 6-1, CSU-Pueblo saw its first four batters reach base as its elusive "big inning" finally hit. The ThunderWolves plated two runs before Aimee Spathias (Jr., Glendora, Calif.) sent two more home on a two-run double to leftfield, cutting the lead to 6-5.
With only one out and runners on second and third, CSU-Pueblo suffered two infield outs to end the inning just a run shy of tying the game. It would be the Pack's last credibly chance, as it netted ony one baserunner in the 7th inning.
The second game was a different story for the Pack offense as it jumped out to an 8-0 lead, using a two-run home run by Ariel Lopez (Fr., Fontana, Calif.) in the second inning and a two-run triple by Alexa Snyder (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) in the third inning to help jump out to the huge advantage.
Colorado Christian, however, scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and eventually took the lead on another five-run inning in the bottom of the 6th, taking an unlikely 10-8 lead.
CSU-Pueblo, however, didn't cower, turning in an impressive two-out rally to score five in the 7th inning and sink the Cougars.
After the first two batters of the inning were retired, a Kelsey Wager (Fr., Pueblo West, Colo.) single followed by an error gave the Pack a chance.
With two on, Samantha Rios (Jr., Fullerton, Calif.) turned in the hit of the game with a two-run double that tied the game at 10-10, putting Colorado Christian on the defensive.
Lopez was intentionally walked on the next at bat, setting the stage for Brittany Styger (Fr., Kent, Wash.) to knock in the winning run on a single through the gap that scored Rios.
In the end, CSU-Pueblo used the inning to go up 13-10, allowing Justine Bosio (Jr., Santa Barbara, Calif.) to salvage what would be her 10th win of the season after retiring the Cougars in the bottom half of the 7th.
The ThunderWolves will close out its four-game series with Colorado Christian Saturday as the two teams square off in another doubleheader starting at noon.
