GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (May 20, 2021) – The fifth-seeded Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team suffered a 10-8 loss Thursday in a back-and-forth battle with three-seed University of Colorado Colorado Springs in the ThunderWolves' second game of the 2021 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament.
 
The game saw six lead changes and was tied 8-8 in the eighth before the final lead change occurred with UCCS scoring twice in the bottom half to win the game by two. The Pack (15-23) totaled 13 hits, but left 11 on base. The Mountain Lions (28-10) recorded nine hits with seven left on. Both squads posted three home runs, but also committed three errors. 
 
The Mountain Lions scored in six of the eight innings they came to the plate. Both teams used three pitchers in the game. 
 
Player Performances
 
Senior Logan Gibbons (UTL, Taylorsville, Utah) finished the game going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. He came up a double shy of the cycle, as he had a two-run home run, a triple and a single. 
 
Aidan Welch (Jr., INF, Seattle, Wash.) went 2-for-4 and led the team with three RBI. He scored once, as he produced two-run homer in the first inning. 
 
Sophomore Reggie Williams (1B, Castle Rock, Colo.) went 4-for-5 with one RBI.
 
Senior Kodee Martin (INF, Platte City, Mo.) was 2-for-6 and scored twice.  
 
Right-hander Jake Lombardelli (R-So., Windsor, Colo.) started the game and went 3.2 innings where he allowed six runs (four earned) with three strikeouts. 
 
Blake Slaymaker (R-Jr., RHP, Johnstown, Colo.) hurled 3.1 innings and allowed just two runs on three hits with six strikeouts. 
 
Game Summary
 
The ThunderWolves started the game with a lead-off single by Martin and then Welch sent his first offering over the left field fence to give the Pack a 2-0 lead. 
 
UCCS then scored one in the first, two in the second and another in the third to lead 4-2 through three. 
 
In the fourth, the ThunderWolves put three runs on the board aided by four hits and a Mountain Lions error. Gibbons scored first when senior catcher Stone Romero (Albuquerque, N.M.) placed a sacrifice fly to right. Sophomore Brock Rodrigues (UTL, Pueblo, Colo.) scored next on a Welch double to right. Finally, Williams plated Martin on a single to center and the Pack were ahead 5-4. 
 
The Mountain Lions responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame and the seesaw match continued, as UCCS led 6-5. 
 
The Pack went up 7-6 in the fifth when Gibbons sent the ball over the left field fence and also scored Adrian Martinez (Sr., OF, Tucson, Ariz.), who had reached on an error. 
 
Matt Shea (Sr., INF, Corona, Calif.) added to the lead in the sixth when he sent the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall and the ThunderWolves were ahead 8-6. 
 
The Mountain Lions returned the favor in the bottom half of the frame with their own homer to left and the game was tied at 8-8. 
 
Things calmed for short while, but UCCS would score twice in the bottom of the eighth to lead 10-8. The ThunderWolves were unable to get a runner in the top of the ninth to suffer the loss.
 
Next Up

The Pack move down to the consolation bracket and will have a rematch with two-seed Metro State University of Denver beginning at 4 p.m. in Grand Junction. 

-- PACK --