ALAMOSA, Colo. (March 27, 2022) – Eight home runs, 27 runs scored and eight different players with two RBIs or more allowed Colorado State University Pueblo (18-12, 11-5 RMAC) to dominate Adams State (4-19, 2-10 RMAC) 27-6 Sunday afternoon in the series finale. The ThunderWolves split the four-game set with Adams State after the dominant victory Sunday.
In the opening inning, the Pack kicked off the game with a bang.
Noah Hennings was able to get on base for the CSU Pueblo cause and
Brady Prewitt soon capitalized with a home run to centerfield.
Owen Rudolphi shut down the home half of the first to set the Pack up on offense. The second inning saw
Matt Shea leadoff with a double and then score from second off a single down the first base line from
Reggie Williams. Williams came around to score off a
Jacob Federico RBI single who eventually crossed the plate thanks to another Hennings base-hit.
The three-run second inning expanded the Pack lead to 5-0 but the team was not done yet. Although the third inning saw three runs by the Grizzlies and only one from the ThunderWolves, the CSU Pueblo bats hit their stride in the top of the fourth.
Hennings started the onslaught of runs in the fourth with a two-run slam to left. Later, Shea batted home
Trey Vasquez from second base. Williams knocked home
Ty Lewis to extend the lead, and
Kysen Howard soon crossed Williams and Shea thanks to a well-struck double to left center.
Tyson Pallatt capped off the offensive assault with a two-run home run to centerfield. Pallatt's homer pushed the Pack lead to 14-3 after four innings.
Prewitt kept the offensive momentum going in the top of the fifth with an RBI single in the second at-bat of the inning. Prewitt crossed the plate thanks to a two-run homer by
Ty Lewis to continue to extend the Pack lead. Howard batted home one more run for the Pack in the inning thanks to a well-placed single to right center.
The 18-3 lead headed into the sixth allowed the Pack to relax at the plate and continue the piling on of runs. Vasquez joined in on the home run action and tallied a two-run blast to right center. Later, Lewis and Shea were able to get themselves aboard and set Williams up for the ThunderWolves' seventh home run of the day.
The lefty first baseman, Williams launched a three-run blast to right and pushed the lead to 23-3 after the top half of the sixth.
On the mound, Rudolphi was relieved in the sixth after 5.2 innings pitched and finished with five strikeouts.
Kolton Miller logged his first career hit with the Pack in the top of the seventh and was sent home thanks a two-run home run from
Elijah Borjas. The Borjas homer was his first of his young career with the Pack.
The ThunderWolves were helped to two more runs in the eighth and ninth inning thanks to a home run from
Max Pawela and a sacrifice flyout by
Zac Hanenberg.
By the time the contest came to a close, the Pack clinched a 27-6 win thanks to eight home runs and straight offensive domination.
Williams led the Pack with five RBIs while Hennings, Prewitt and Howard each tallied three apiece. Prewitt's 2-5 performance allowed the catcher to extend his hitting streak 13 consecutive games. Rudolphi claimed his first win of the season thanks to 5.2 innings pitched and five strikeouts.
CSU Pueblo split its first conference series with the 27-6 win. The Pack look to keep it going April 1, as they face MSU Denver at 1 p.m. as part of an RMAC pod at Rawlings Field.
