PUEBLO, Colo. (March 25, 2018) – Colorado State University-Pueblo Baseball had an answer for everything No. 8 Colorado Mesa University threw at them Sunday as the Pack defeated the Mavericks 11-8 at Rawlings Field.  

The ThunderWolves improved to 15-14 overall with a 7-9 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. CSU-Pueblo snapped the Mavericks eight game win streak, dropping them to 19-6 (10-2 RMAC).

Mason Krueger (Jr., Draper, Utah) got on base five times in five trips. Krueger went 4-for-4 with a hit by pitch. He scored four runs.

Zach Hoffman (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah) also reached base five times. The senior scored three runs and added an RBI. He finished the day 2-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base. Like Krueger, Hoffman was also plunked.  

Gilbert Sauceda (Jr., Indio, Calif.) drove in a team-best three runs. He went 2-for-3 with a walk. Sauceda also stole two bases.

Senior Ambrose Romero (Albuquerque, N.M.) went 1-for-2 with two walks. Romero added two RBIs. Dakota Popham (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) also totaled two RBIs and scored a run.

Tanner Fuhrmann (Sr., Flagstaff, Ariz.) posted a 1-for-3 day at the plate. Fuhrmann scored a run and reached base on a walk.

Chris Douglas (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) earned the win to even his record at 2-2. Douglas struck out seven in five innings. He gave up five runs.

Justin Jaime (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) tossed 3.1 innings of relief to pick up his second save of the season. Jaime struck out four, while limiting the Mavericks to two unearned runs.

The Mavericks would get the game's first run in the top of the first. CSU-Pueblo would answer in the second inning when Hoffman scored on a Jason Lighthall (Sr., Littleton, Colo.) sacrifice fly to tie the game at one.

In the bottom of the third, the Pack erupted for three runs to jump in front 4-1. Jorge Duarte (Sr., Luis, Ariz.) came around on a Sauceda sac fly. Duarte extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a leadoff single.

Colorado Mesa came through with three runs to tie the game in the top of the fifth. The Pack wasted no time responding with three runs of their own in the bottom half, making it 7-4 after five.

Every time the Mavericks would get a run, the Pack would answer in their half of the inning. A Mesa run in the sixth was countered by two runs for the ThunderWolves in the bottom half as the Pack stacked themselves to a 9-5 lead. 

The ThunderWolves would also respond to two Maverick runs in the eighth. Jaime would shut the door on the Mavericks in the ninth to preserve an 11-7 win for the Pack.

CSU-Pueblo will now enjoy a week off, before turning their focus to a home pod against Adams State University and New Mexico Highlands University. The Pack will start that pod April 6 with a game against the Grizzlies starting at 3 p.m.

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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