PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com – Mar. 14, 2014) – A 5-run third inning in which the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves batted around was more than enough for the Pack to claim a 10-3 win over visiting Adams State University in the first game of a 4-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference baseball set, played Friday afternoon here at Rawlings Field.
The Pack banged out six hits, all singles, in that inning and recorded 13 overall, breaking what was a 1-1 game wide open. The Pack then added three more runs in the fifth and a single tally in the sixth to take a 10-1 lead, allowing veteran coach Stan Sanchez to empty his bench. Twenty-one different ThunderWolves saw action in the win, which upped the Pack's record to 8-9 overall and to 4-3 in RMAC play. The Grizzlies fell to 6-12 overall and to 4-4 in the RMAC heading into a Saturday afternoon doubleheader, set for a 1 p.m. start.
With plenty of run support, senior pitcher Mike Fabrizio (Pueblo, Colo.) earned his third straight win while improving to 3-1 on the year. Fabrizio spread out eight hits and five walks while striking out four in seven innings. Dillon Given (Sr., Salinas, Calif.) and Kyle Clemens (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) then pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings to close out the win.
The Pack also played well defensively turning three double plays while committing one meaningless error in the ninth inning.
Meanwhile, the Pack reached double-figures for the second straight game offensively as eight of the nine starters tallied hits while the other – shortstop Cameron Buckles (Sr., Parker, Colo.), drove in a run. Five of those starters had two hits a piece in a balanced attack, led by Lonny Schoon (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Mike Wagner (Jr., Golden, Colo.). Schoon went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored runs in each of his three turns on the base-paths. Wagner went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs.
The ThunderWolves scored first as a Wagner sacrifice fly drove in Schoon in the bottom of the second. The Grizzlies then tied the game in the top of the third as a 2-out walk followed by two singles provided the spark.
However, the visitors' momentum was short-lived as Austin Mascorro (Jr., Oxnard, Calif.), Dominick Bregar (So., Pueblo, Colo.), Scott Hoyt (Sr., Longmont, Colo.) and Evan Kenebrew (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) all singled. Hoyt and Kenebrew's hits drove in runs as did a Mario Sanchez (Sr., Tucson, Ariz.) sacrifice fly. Schoon and Eddie Williams (Sr., Castle Rock, Colo.) then singled as well to make the score 5-1 before a wild pitch plated Schoon to complete the barrage.
In the fifth, Wagner had an RBI single while Buckles drove in a run with a groundout to the right side. Another wild pitch then allowed the Pack to go up 9-1.
A Wagner single then plated Sanchez in the sixth to complete CSU-Pueblo's scoring.
Ben Williams, who left the game in the third inning, took the loss for the Grizzlies while falling to 1-3. He and reliever Dylan Sherry, who was replaced in the fifth, each pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up a combined 10 hits and five walks.
Chris Morley, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and Zach Moldenhauer, who was 2-for-3, led the Grizzlies offensively.
