LAS VEGAS, N.M. (GoThunderWolves.com - Mar. 7, 2014)— Behind a strong pitching performance from senior Mike Fabrizio (Pueblo, Colo.), three timely double plays and some well executed station-to-station ball, the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves held on for a 2-1 win over host New Mexico Highlands University and moved past the Cowboys into first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Plains Division.
Fabrizio went eight innings allowing just three hits while striking out five Cowboys before Kolby Rimer (Jr., St. George, Utah) earned his third save of the year, thanks in part to a game-ending 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the ninth.
That was one of three twin-killings that the Pack used to thwart would-be Cowboy rallies after the Pack got out to a 2-0 lead after 3 ½ innings.
Now 6-7 overall, the ThunderWolves are now 2-1 in RMAC play and lead both New Mexico Highlands and Metro State, which split a Friday doubleheader at Adams State, by a half game in the conference standings. NMHU fell to 5-9 overall and to 2-2 in RMAC play.
The ThunderWolves wasted little time in scoring as Austin Mascorro (Jr., Oxnard, Calif.) led the game off with a double, one of his three hits on the day. He then moved to third on a fly out before scoring two plays later on a Evan Kenebrew (Sr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) RBI groundout.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio who improved to 2-1 recorded four strikeouts while allowing just one hit in his first three trips to the mound.
The Pack then doubled the lead to 2-0 thanks to three straight singles and an Eddie Williams (Sr., Castle Rock, Colo.) sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth.
Fabrizio, who allowed a walk in the fourth and the fifth, then got some help with a fifth-inning double play ball before Williams threw out a would-be base stealer to end the sixth.
Another double-play then helped end the Cowboys' seventh before the home team finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a RBI groundout from pinch-hitter Joe Cervantes after a lead-off single and hit batsman set the table.
Unable to extend the lead in the top of the ninth, the Pack then called upon Rimer, who gave up a bunt single to begin the bottom of the ninth before a Bermuda Triangle single to left-center with one out put a Cowboy in scoring position to tie the game.
However, Rimer got Colby Wilmer to hit a sharply hit ground ball to shortstop Cameron Buckles (Sr., Parker, Colo.), who flipped the ball to Mascorro at second, who in turn threw the ball to Dominick Bregar (So., Pueblo, Colo.) to close out the win.
The ThunderWolves recorded 10 hits, including nine singles, throughout the game but left nine runners on base. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were held to five singles as Blake Harrison, now 1-2, suffered the loss despite a solid complete game effort.
The two teams will play a Saturday doubleheader at 11 a.m. before completing the 4-game series at the Cowboys' Brandt Field with a single 9-inning game on Sunday at noon.
