PUEBLO, Colo. - Colorado State University Pueblo baseball opened its 2023 season here Friday afternoon by falling 22-5 to 16th-ranked St. Edward's University at Rawlings Field. 

The ThunderWolves finished Friday's season opener with nine hits, including a 3-for-3 effort at the plate from senior first baseman Reggie Williams (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County), while sophomore leftfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) and sophomore second baseman Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) each had two hits for the Pack in the setback. Borjas drove home three of CSU Pueblo's five runs, while Miller and Williams each scored two runs. 

While the Pack finished with nine hits and five runs, the Hilltoppers, who improved to 5-0 on the season with the win, scored runs in five of the first six innings as they recorded 19 hits and scored 22 runs. Among their 19 hits, SEU hit four home runs, including a grand slam and a three-run homer in an eight second inning and they added four doubles and a triple as they finished with nine extra base hits in the contest. 

The Pack (0-1) got on the scoreboard first in Friday's game as Williams drew a lead-off walk to open the bottom of the first. He would eventually steal second and end up a third on a throwing error by SEU catcher Cullen Ainsworth and scored on an RBI single up the middle by Borjas off of SEU starting pitcher Wesley Gafford (2-0). 

SEU, though, would push eight runs across home plate in the top of the second thanks to a grand slam from Hunter Conner, a 3-run homer from Lance Little and added another run on an error by sophomore third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest). 

The Hilltoppers added two more runs in the top of the third on a 2-run single to left by Conner to take a 10-1 lead.

CSU Pueblo would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the third thanks to back-to-back singles from Miller and Williams and scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of junior catcher Brady Prewitt (Raytown, Mo./Iowa Western). 

SEU pushed its lead to 13-1 as they scored three runs in the top of the fourth and added six more runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to push its lead to 19-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Pack got to Gafford, who entered the inning having not allowed an earned run in his first 10 innings of work this season. In the inning, Miller drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a single by Williams and after redshirt senior shortstop Trey Vazquez (Greeley, Colo./Dodge City CC) stuck out for the second out of the inning, Prewitt followed with an RBI double to left that plated Miller with the Pack's third run of the game. Following Prewitt's double, Borjas followed with a 2-run single up the middle to push the Pack within 19-5. The Pack would eventually load the bases in the inning, but Gafford would get out of the jam by striking out Howard to end the inning.

The Hilltoppers added three more runs in the sixth on a 3-run homer over the wall in right field from Davis Drewek to push its lead to 22-5. 

SEU would then turn the game over to its bullpen as four relievers would allowed just three hits and no runs, while walking two and striking out two over the final four innings of the game. 

Gafford would toss five innings and allowed six hits and five runs (four earned), while walking three and striking out 10. Gafford's ERA, though, balloned to 4.50 on the season following his start on Friday. 

CSU Pueblo starter, junior Zach Pratt (Belton, Mo./Metropolitan CC) struggled as he tossed 3.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and 13 runs (seven earned runs), while walking three and fanning one to take the opening day loss. The Pack's defense committed three errors in the season opener. 

The Pack threw five pitchers in the game as junior Charlie Williams (Bucyrus, Kan./Metropolitan CC) tossed 0.2 innings after Pratt as he allowed four hits and six runs (five earned runs) and had one strikeout and one walk. Redshirt junior Edwing Corrales (Delicias, Mexico/Otero JC) followed by tossing 1.2 innings and allowed three hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out one. 

CSU Pueblo's next two pitchers - graduate student Ruben Portillo (Thornton, Colo./Eastern Arizona CC) and junior Dylan Weaver (Fruita, Colo./Highland CC) tossed the final three innings and combined to allow just two hits and no runs, while striking out three and walking none. 

Little paced SEU's offense as he was 5-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and 5 RBI. In addition to Little, Connor Cox and Josh Graham each had three hits and scored three runs, while Carlo Figueroa, Drewek and Conner each had two hits in the win. Conner also had six RBI. 

For the game, CSU Pueblo left nine runners on base, while SEU left six runners on base and turned a double play.

The two teams will conclude the two-game series with a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Rawlings Field. Junior Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho) will take the mound for the Pack against SEU's Jack Grannack.