LAS VEGAS (GoThunderWolves.com – Feb. 7, 2014)— Despite two home runs and a 3-for-4 day from sophomore right fielder Dora Hernandez (Benton City, Wash.), the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves dropped their 2014 softball season-opener, 15-5, to eighth-ranked West Texas A&M, Friday afternoon here at Majestic Park.
The Pack, who are participating in the 2014 Desert Stinger Classic, were in a 7-0 hole before a 3-run Hernandez shot to right center field in the bottom of the fifth put the ThunderWolves on the board.
West Texas then added three more runs in the sixth and five in the seventh before another Hernandez solo shot to right in the bottom of the seventh completed the scoring moments after junior all-American Alexa Snyder (Pueblo, Colo.) had hit a 1-out homer.
Hernandez, who hit .322 with three homers and 31 RBI in 2013, plated four of the Pack's runs while Snyder scored two more.
Centerfielder Sidney Bailey (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.) also had a solid 2-for-4 day as the Pack's 1-2-3 hitters went a combined 6-for-11.
West Texas's Rita Hokianga, a native of New Zealand, earned the win for the Lady Buffs as she recorded 12 strikeouts. CSU-Pueblo's Kelli Henry (Jr., Monument, Colo.) suffered the loss, giving up seven hits and six runs in 3 2/3 innings of work.
The Lady Buffs are coming off a 44-13 season in 2013 and were picked second in the Lone Star Conference's Preseason Poll.
CSU-Pueblo, which plays five games in three days at the massive 32-team, 80-game tournament will look to bounce back Friday evening at 7 p.m. (PST) against 23rd-ranked Dixie State (Utah), which split a home Tuesday doubleheader with Desert Stinger host Montana State-Billings in St. George, Utah.
The Pack will then play Texas-Permian Basin and St. Mary's (Texas) on Saturday before wrapping up the weekend against Western Washington on Sunday.
