PUEBLO, Colo. (April 30, 2022) – Two solid starts from Colorado State University Pueblo (26-19, 17-10 RMAC) baseball's, Zach Pratt and Owen Rudolphi highlighted a doubleheader split with UCCS (18-27, 13-14 RMAC) Saturday afternoon. CSU Pueblo took game one 6-2 and then fell 8-6 after a late UCCS surge in game two.
 
Game 1 | CSU Pueblo 6 – UCCS 2
 
The opening game of the day saw the Pack jump on top early. Noah Hennings was able to get aboard with a one-out walk and then steal his way to second. Two batters later, Trey Vasquez put the ball in play and singled to second base. The second baseman made a crucial throwing error and allowed Hennings to put the Pack on the board 1-0 early on.
 
Pratt made his way back onto the mound in the second and retired the side without drama. The ThunderWolves offense jumped on the UCCS starter. Ty Lewis singled up the middle and was soon apart of a bases loaded opportunity for the Pack. Kysen Howard singled home Lewis and was followed by a bases clearing double down the leftfield line by Jacob Federico. Federico was singled home by Hennings and the Pack enjoyed a 6-0 cushion after two innings.
 
From there, it was all Pratt.  The hurler continued to roll on the mound and retire the Mountain Lions without much resistance. Crucial plays made in the field included Reggie Williams rolling a double play in the top of the fourth as well as acrobatic plays made at short and third by Vasquez and Lewis.
 
The shutout ended with a home run in the sixth, but the Pack were still comfortable with a 6-2 lead. Pratt retired the first two outs in the seventh, but after two runners made it aboard with two outs, head coach Bobby Applegate gave Dylan Weaver the nod to come on for the save. Weaver forced a groundout to third and clinched the Pack's 6-2 win over UCCS in game one of the doubleheader.
 
Pratt finished with a win off 6.2 innings and seven strikeouts. He was backed up by the three RBI double from Federico and the Pack bats showing patience at the plate, only striking out twice as a squad.
 
Game 2 | UCCS 8 – CSU Pueblo 6
 
In the doubleheader sequel, UCCS led off the game with a home run down the right field line and took an early 1-0 lead over the ThunderWolves. Rudolphi settled in after and took the Pack into the bottom of the third still only trailing 1-0.
 
Hennings knotted it up at 1-1 with a solo home run to leftfield in the bottom of the third and Rudolphi followed up with two strikeouts in the fourth to keep the Pack energized. In the bottom of the fourth, Manny Sierra gave the ThunderWolves a lead with a RBI single through the left side and was later batted home by Williams who tallied himself a single up the middle. 
 
Rudolphi was once again able to retire the side in straight order and send the game into the bottom of the fifth with a 3-1 lead. 
 
Lewis added to the Pack advantage and scored Brady Prewitt thanks to a two-run shot to dead centerfield. Howard later singled home Matt Shea and gave the Pack a 6-1 lead headed into the sixth.
 
The Mountain Lions then went on the offensive for the first time of the afternoon. UCCS was able to nab a run in the sixth and then find its rhythm at the plate in the seventh. A flurry of singles capped off by a three-run home run to right gave the Mountain Lions a six-run inning and put the Pack in an 8-6 hole headed into the bottom of the seventh.
 
Shea made his way aboard with one out in the bottom of the frame, but the UCCS closer turned away the threat and sealed the 8-6 CSU Pueblo loss following the final inning rally.
 
Rudolphi ended up with a no decision after six innings pitched and five strikeouts. Prewitt led hitting with a 3-3 performance at the plate while Shea batted 3-4 and Sierra tallied a 2-3 performance with a RBI. 
 
The ThunderWolves wrap-up their four-game set and home slate with a Senior Day contest Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Rawlings Field. Senior Day festivities will begin at 12:30 p.m.