PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball continued its hot offensive play in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play here Friday afternoon as the ThunderWolves recorded 15 hits and scored 10 runs in a 10-5 win over New Mexico Highlands in the first game of a four-game series at Rawlings Field.
With the win, CSU Pueblo improves to 6-13 overall and takes a half-game lead in the RMAC standings with a 4-1 record, while New Mexico Highlands falls to 1-18 overall and 0-1 in the league.
The teams will continue the four-game RMAC series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 18 beginning at 12 p.m. and will conclude the series with a nine inning game on Sunday, March 19 at 12 p.m.
The Pack's offense, which has now recorded double digit hits in all four of its league wins this season and has now had 10 or more hits in nine of its last 11 games overall.
Senior first baseman
Reggie Williams (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) was on base all five times in Friday's game as he was 3-for-3 at the plate to extend his hit streak to 15 consecutive games and he also drew two walks to push his season total to 16 walks. Williams is now hitting .486 overall on the season and .647 in RMAC play.
In addition to Williams, junior designated hitter
Christian Casteneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) was 3-for-4 at the plate to extend his hit streak to 10 consecutive games, while junior catcher
Brady Prewitt (Raytown, Mo./Iowa Western CC) and sophomore leftfielder
Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) each had two hits and combined for 7 RBI as Prewitt had 3 RBI and Borjas recorded 4 RBI.
The Cowboys, who have lost 14 straight games, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning thanks to a single, an RBI triple and an RBI double off of junior hurler
Zach Pratt (Belton, Mo./Metropolitan CC), who started on the mound for the Pack.
Trailing 2-0, the Pack would get those two runs back in the bottom of the first thanks to a 2-run homer off the bat of Prewitt. Prewitt's homer, which was his second of the season, scored Williams, who walked to lead off the inning.
The Pack took the lead for good in the bottom of the second thanks to three hits and an error by Highlands. In the inning, Williams reached on a one-out single up the middle and scored on an RBI triple by senior centerfielder
Noah Hennings (Draper, Utah/Southern Idaho) and Hennings would score when Prewitt reached on a fielding error by Highlands' second baseman Hunter Waugh.
NMHU would get one of those runs back in the third on an RBI double by Cobe Lehman to cut the Pack's lead to 4-3.
The Pack pushed its lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Casteneda and a 2-run double to left center by Borjas off of NMHU starter John Slape, who entered the game with a 16.39 ERA.
Highlands used a lead-off homer by Lehman to open the sixth inning off of Pratt to pull within 7-4. Prior to Lehman's homer, Pratt had seven straight Cowboy hitters, including striking out the side in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Pack would record three hits and score three runs to take a 10-4 lead. Redshirt senior shortstop
Trey Vasquez (Greeley, Colo./Dodge City CC) opened the inning with a single to extend his hit streak to 14 straight games and moved to second on a bunt single by freshman rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) and both runners would score on a 2-run double by Borjas and Borjas would later score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore second baseman
Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa).
The Cowboys had a scoring chance in the eighth inning against the Pack's bullpen as they loaded the bases thanks to two walks issued by junior reliever
Charlie Williams (Bucyrus, Kan./Metropolitan CC) and single, before sophomore
Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway) relieved Williams and got out of the jam by forcing Joseph Romero to ground out back to the pitcher's mound to end the inning.
Pratt (1-1) would pitch seven strong innings to earn his first win of the season as he allowed seven hits and four runs, while striking out eight and walking none.
The Cowboys would add a run in the ninth on an RBI double off the bat of Alex Admire off of Petersheim to complete the scoring.
Highlands finished the game with 11 hits, including three hits each from Admire and Lehman.
Slape (0-2) took the loss for the Cowboys on the mound as he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and seven runs, while walking three and striking out three.
Friday's game featured a combined 12 extra base hits as the Pack hit three doubles, two triples and a home run, while Highlands had four doubles, a triple and a home run.
The Pack left 14 runners on base, while Highlands stranded seven base runners.
