GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (May 6, 2022) – After ending up on the wrong side of a walk-off home run and a comeback attempt coming up short, the Colorado State University Pueblo baseball squad (26-23, 17-14 RMAC) was swept by No. 10 Colorado Mesa (35-12, 22-9 RMAC). The Pack fell 5-4 in eight innings in the opening game and then was defeated 9-5 in the evening sequel.
 
Game 1 | #10 Colorado Mesa 5 – CSU Pueblo 4 (8 Innings)
 
The opening game of the day proved to be a test of wills and defense. Pack starting pitcher Zach Pratt found himself in a duel with Colorado Mesa's Ryan Day. Pratt and Day retired 15 of the first 16 batters of the game. The Mavericks pushed in two runs in the bottom of the third inning and put the Pack in a 2-0 deficit.
 
The ThunderWolves were able to jump back into the game in their next at-bat. Reggie Williams got himself aboard with a walk to kick-off the fourth and was moved over off a Noah Hennings single through the right side. Brady Prewitt grounded into a fielder's choice but Williams was able to cross home and put the Pack on the board.
 
The inning went on and the Pack struck again. With two outs, Matt Shea was able to bat home Trey Vasquez and Prewitt. CSU Pueblo took a 3-2 lead headed into the bottom of the fourth. The Mavericks responded with two runs in the bottom frame and too a 4-3 lead.
 
After two scoreless frames for the Pack, they had one more chance at the plate. Shea led off and was hit by a pitch. Zac Hanenberg pinch ran for Shea and it soon paid off. Elijah Borjas waited patiently at the plate and drove a pitch up the middle and Hanaberg was able to race home from second to tie things up at 4-4.
 
Dylan Weaver came on in the bottom of the seventh and looked to extend the game to extra innings. The reliever was able to retire the side, but the Pack bats were not able to make anything happen in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the inning, the Mavericks elected for a pinch hitter as the second batter of the inning. The Colorado Mesa batter was able to homer to left and walk it off to hand the Pack a 5-4 loss in extra innings.
 
Shea led the Pack with two RBIs off the base hit earlier in the contest. Vasquez highlighted the efforts at the plate with a 3-4 performance while Borjas and Hennings accounted for the other hits. 
 
Game 2 | #10 Colorado Mesa 9 – CSU Pueblo 5
 
The second game of the day featured more power from both teams. Colorado Mesa knocked a homer in the bottom of the first to secure an early 2-0 lead. The Pack were able to find a response for the Mavericks in the next frame.
 
After a hit-by-pitch by Shea and a double down the third base line by Borjas, Kysen Howard came through for the ThunderWolves at the plate. Hoawrd launched a deep ball to left centerfield and put the Pack ahead 3-2 with one swing of the bat.
 
After the Pack held the Mavericks in the bottom of the second, base hits by Ty Lewis and Hennings showed hope for an expansion of the lead but a strong performance on the mound deterred the bats and held the game at 3-2 in favor of CSU Pueblo.
 
Unfortunately for the Pack, the defensive play carried over to Colorado Mesa's offense. The Mavericks smacked back-to-back homers and pushed across six runs in the next two innings. 
 
In the top of the fifth, Williams singled and soon crossed home plate thanks to Hennings' fourth home run of the season. Threats by the Pack in the sixth and seventh eventually stalled and the Pack's 9-5 loss was sealed. 
 
Howard batted 2-3 in the contest and tallied three RBIs to lead CSU Pueblo while Hennings' 2-4, two-RBI performance helped round out the offensive production. 
 
 CSU Pueblo looks to prevent a sweep in Grand Junction on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Pack's match-up against Colorado Mesa will be the finale to the 2022 regular season.