ThunderWolves convert first series sweep of the season.
PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - March 4, 2012) - CSU-Pueblo continued to show tenacity in tough situations Sunday, turning in a pair of one-run victories to complete the four-game sweep of Colorado School of Mines, winning 9-8 and 2-1.
For the second straight game, CSU-Pueblo used a walk-off hit to send the Orediggers to a loss, capping a 7th inning comeback with an RBI double by Kelsey Wager (Fr., Pueblo West, Colo.) to win the first game, 9-8.
CSU-Pueblo entered the bottom of the 7th trailing 8-6, but late heroics again saved the day for the Pack. With one runner on base and one out, Brittany Styger (Fr., Kent, Wash.) tied the game with one swing, driving the ball over the left centerfield fence to completely erase the Orediggers' two-run advantage.
Mines pulled starting pitcher Ashley Goletz after giving up the lead, and her replacement, Kristin Prudhomme, fared no better. She walked Alexa Snyder (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.), and the Pack's base-stealer extraordinaire promptly swiped second base to set the stage for Wager's game-winning double.
The Pack's game-winning heroics would likely not have been possible were it not for a huge hit earlier in the game by catcher Sarah Bosshart (Sr., Irvine, Calif.). The ThunderWolves were flat, trailing 4-0 in the 3rd inning when Bosshart reached the plate with bases loaded. The 2011 All-Central Region selection couldn't have picked a better time to blast her first home run of the season - a drive directly over the centerfield wall - to tie it at 4-4 and make a game out of it.
The late game of the doubleheader, however, lacked the heroics at the plate, instead yielding to two strong pitching performances by Mines' Kelly Unkrich and Justine Bosio (Jr., Santa Barbara, Calif.). All things being equal, Unkrich turned in the stronger performance of the two, allowing just four hits and striking out six while Bosio allowed eight hits and struck out three.
But it was one big error that ultimately spelled the difference in the final line score.
Snyder, who led the game off with a single, stole second and benefitted from a throwing error by Mines catcher, Sami Springer, and came around to score to tie the game at 1-1. In the end, the fielding foible would end up giving the Pack the margin it needed to secure the win.
CSU-Pueblo would break the tie in the second inning, using classic "small ball" to get the lead.
After starting the inning with a Bosio walk, a sacrifice bunt by Bosshart followed by a groundout set up Lindsey Marmolejo (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) for what would end up being the game-winning RBI on a single to rightfield, giving the Pack its 2-1 lead that it would hold throughout the duration.
CSU-Pueblo, which improves to 6-6 and 4-4 in RMAC play after Sunday's sweep, will head to Metro State next weekend to take on the Roadrunners in a four-game series.
