GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (May 11, 2022) – In the opening round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) baseball tournament, Colorado State University Pueblo found itself on the wrong side of a 4-2 defensive battle with Metropolitan State University Denver Wednesday afternoon.

The ThunderWolves' 4-2 loss moves them into the consolation bracket where they will face the winner of top-seeded Colorado Mesa or sixth-seeded UCCS Thursday at 3 p.m.
 
The defensive showdown began with MSU Denver claiming two runs early on. The Roadrunners notched one in the first and then another in the second. The Pack were unable to capitalize on a couple of hits by Reggie Williams and Kysen Howard in the early going and the Roadrunners then tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third.
 
Finally, in the top of the fourth, the Pack were able to respond with their own offensive production. To start off the frame, Trey Vasquez reached on a throwing error and gave the ThunderWolves life. With two outs and Vasquez still waiting at first, Howard got himself his second double of the day and advanced Vasquez to third.
 
In the next at-bat, Elijah Borjas tallied two RBIs with a base knock through the left side and sent Vasquez and Howard racing across home plate. Borjas sprinted to second on a throwing error during the play and clapped at his team's dugout after the energetic two-RBI single.
 
Following the action-packed top of the fourth, a pitching battle ensued. Tim McIntyre settled in on the hill and retired his next nine out of 10 batters and kept the Roadrunners' offense at bay. The Pack maintained a 4-2 deficit by backing up McIntyre with a clean defensive effort.
 
Unfortunately for the Pack, the Roadrunners' pitching staff and defense saw the same success and sent the game on down the line with no changes.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Frank Wierman came on in relief for McIntyre and picked up where his predecessor left off. Wierman retired the final batter in the bottom of the seventh on just two pitches.
 
After an uneventful top of the eighth, Wierman came back out for the Pack and exhibited dominance on the mound. The freshman reliever pushed through two full counts and overpowered another batter to strikeout the side and gave the Pack energy headed into their final at-bat.
 
CSU Pueblo was unable to pick apart the MSU Denver closer and fell 4-2 in its first game at the RMAC Tournament. 
 
Williams and Howard each tallied two base-hits in four at-bats. The freshman, Howard notched one of the two runs scored and two doubles. Borjas' two RBIs proved to be the only one tallied for the Pack. 
 
McIntyre hurled 6.2 innings on the mound while allowing eight hits, four earned runs and two strikeouts. Wierman's relief stint featured three strikeouts in 1.1 innings on the hill.
 
CSU Pueblo looks to keep its postseason alive Thursday afternoon, as the Pack head back to the diamond for a showdown against the winner of top-seeded Colorado Mesa and sixth-seeded UCCS.