GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (May 7, 2015) ~ No. 2 seed Colorado State University-Pueblo dropped its first game in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Thursday, falling to No. 3 seed Metro State University of Denver, 8-0, at Suplizio Field.

With the loss, the ThunderWolves will play their next game Friday at noon against the loser of No. 1 seed Colorado Mesa University and No. 4 seed Adams State University.

The Pack drop to 38-13 overall on the season, while the Roadrunners improve their overall mark to 27-20.  

For the game, CSU-Pueblo finished with no runs on four hits, no errors and four runners left on base. MSU Denver notched eight runs on 14 hits, no errors and 14 stranded runners.

ThunderWolves' starting pitcher Zac Wittmus (Sr., Brighton, Colo.) suffered the loss to fall to 7-2 on the year. The right hander went six innings, gave up two runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out six.

Kris Lalk was the story of the game as the Roadrunners' starter tossed a complete-game four-hit shutout. The left hander struck out six and didn't walk a batter.

Offensively, Lawrence Chavez (Sr., Estancia, N.M.) lead CSU-Pueblo with two of its four hits. Austin Mascorro (Sr., Oxnard, Calif.) and Manny Menocal (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.) chipped in with one base knock apiece.

MSU Denver had three players tally three hits each. Mitch Gibbons had a game-high five RBIs four of which came on a ninth-inning grand slam.

The contest was scoreless through the first two innings, before the Roadrunners tacked on a run in the top of the third to take the early 1-0 advantage.

Chavez notched the ThunderWolves first hit of the game in the home half of the third inning, but he was left at first base at the conclusion of the frame.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the sixth inning. MSU Denver got to Wittmus for one more run to extend its lead to 2-0.

CSU-Pueblo's best scoring opportunity came in the bottom of the sixth frame. Chavez recorded his second hit of the game with one out in the inning. Two batters later, Mascorro reached on a bunt single to put runners at first and second with two outs. Lalk got out of the jam however, as he induced Dominick Bregar (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.) to bounce into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

The Roadrunners added a run in the eighth and five more in the ninth to push their lead to 8-0. Lalk completed the complete-game shutout with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to advance MSU Denver into the winner's bracket.

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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.