PUEBLO, Colo. (April 18, 2019) – Colorado State University-Pueblo Baseball scored a season-high 27 runs in a 27-8 blowout of Adams State University in Thursday's series opener at ASU Baseball Field.
Connor Hughes (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) smacked his first career home run. Hughes swatted a grand slam in the sixth inning for his first career dinger. He drove in a career-best six runs. Hughes finished the day 3-for-4 and two runs scored.
Aidan Welch (So., Seattle, Wash.) went 3-for-4 at the dish. Welch hit a home run for the second consecutive game. The Pack's second baseman drove in three runs and scored three times.
Daniel Abiles (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) touched home four times. The Pack's catcher went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two walks. Abiles also doubled in the win.
Mason Hayes (Sr. Jordan, Utah) also slugged a home run for the second consecutive game. Hayes hammered a grand slam in the eighth inning. He scored twice in two plate appearances.
Rion Santamaria (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) mashed his second home run of the season. Santamaria finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Talon Schaller (Sr., Lakewood, Calif.) clubbed his first home run of the season. Schaller came off the bench with a 2-for-2 effort. He totaled two runs scored and two RBIs.
Kodee Martin (Jr., Platte County, Mo.) scored three runs. Martin went 2-for-3.
The Grizzlies got on the board first as Adams State scored two runs in the opening frame. The Pack answered with four runs in the second inning. Welch got the Pack on the board with a solo shot. Hughes hit a two-run single. Martin scored on an error as the Pack claimed the lead.
Santamaria slugged a home run in the third to make it 5-2. Adams State countered with a home run of its own in the bottom half that trimmed the Pack's lead to two.
After adding a run in the fifth, the Pack erupted for nine runs in the sixth. Hughes scored twice in the inning. He also cranked his first career home run over the right field fence. Hughes' grand slam gave the Pack a 15-3 lead.
The Pack scored nine more runs in the eighth.
Robbie Espinosa (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Welch each had a RBI double. Hayes capped the scoring the eighth with a grand slam that brought in Welch Abiles, and
Brock Rodrigues (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.). Hayes' grand slam made it 24-3.
In the bottom of the eighth Adams State tacked on five runs. The Pack put up three in the top of the ninth including Schaller's solo shot. CSU-Pueblo cruised to a 27-8 win.
Beau Brieske (Jr., Chandler, Ariz.) picked up the win to improve to 5-4. He went six innings and struck out seven batters.
The Pack's 27 runs was their most in a game since April 11, 2009 when they recorded 32 runs in a win over Colorado Christian University. The ThunderWolves improved to 18-20 with a 13-12 record in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
CSU-Pueblo and the Grizzlies will continue their four-game series with a doubleheader Friday. The first game of this doubleheader will start at 12 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.
