PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball used a six run third inning and solid pitching from junior Zach Pratt (Belton, Mo./Metropolitan CC) and sophomore Travis Farrell (Las Vegas, Nev./Otero JC) to extend its win streak to seven consecutive games following an 8-4 victory over Colorado School of Mines in the opener of a four game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series at Rawlings Field.

With the win, the ThunderWolves improved to 11-13 overall and 8-1 in the RMAC, while Mines falls to 7-14 overall and 3-6 in the RMAC.

The Pack offense finished with 12 hits in Friday's opener with four Pack players recording two hits, including senior first baseman Reggie Williams (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) extending his hit streak to 20 consecutive games with two hits in five at-bats, while junior designated hitter Christian Casteneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) also had two hits to extend his hit streak to 15 straight games. Junior catcher Brady Prewitt (Raytown, Mo./Iowa Western CC) and sophomore third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) also each had two hits in the win.

During its current seven-game winning streak which began with a 12-4 win at UCCS on March 12, the Pack are hitting .427 with 111 hits and 93 runs scored and has had 30 doubles, seven triples and four home runs and has a .642 slugging percentage and has posted a team ERA of 3.32.

The Pack put two runners on base in the bottom of the first thanks to a single and stolen base by Prewitt and walk issued to Casteneda, but Mines' starting pitcher Luke Folsom would get out of the jam by striking out redshirt senior shortstop Trey Vasquez (Greeley, Colo./Dodge City CC) to end the inning.

In the third inning, the Pack used six hits and an error by the Orediggers to plate six runs and take a 6-0 lead in the game. The big hits in the inning were a 2-run single by Casteneda and a bases-loaded triple by freshman rightfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West).

Pratt retired the first 10 batters in faced in order and had a perfect game going with one out in the fourth inning when Mines broke up the bid for a perfect game on a double to left center by Mason Andrews. Andrews, though, would be stranded at second as Pratt retired Garret Nielsen on a pop up and then struck out Adam Houghtaling to end the inning.

The Orediggers would then break up Pratt's shutout in the top of the fifth thanks to an RBI doubles by Keene Tanaka and a wild pitch by Pratt to cut the Pack's lead to 6-2.

CSU Pueblo would get those two runs back in the bottom of the fifth as they loaded the bases with no outs thanks to singles by Howard and sophomore leftfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) and a walk issued to Sanchez and then used a fielder's choice grounder by Williams to plate the first run and then scored its second run on a wild pitch by Mines relief pitcher Weston Siefken, who replaced Folsom after he allowed the single to Borjas, to take an 8-2 lead.

Mines would add two runs in the top of the sixth on a 2-run single off the bat of Danny McDermott off of Farrell, who replaced Pratt after he hit Alex Dunagan with a pitch to put two runners on base with two outs.

From that point, the Pack let Farrell do most of the work as after allowing that single to McDermott, he retired eight straight hitters before allowing a one-out single to McDermott in the ninth inning. Farrell would strike out the side in the seventh and struck out two of the three hitters he faced in the eighth inning.

Mines finished with six hits in the game as McDermott had two of those six hits.

Pratt (2-1) pitched 5.2 innings and allowed four hits and four runs, while walking two and striking out seven in his 97-pitch outing. Farrell, who earned his first save of the season, tossed 3.1 shutout innings as he allowed two hits and struck out six.

Folsom (0-3) took the loss to Mines as he tossed three innings and allowed seven hits and six runs (five earned), while walking one and striking out three.

The teams combined to leave 16 runners on base as the Pack stranded nine runners and Mines left seven on base.

The two teams will continue the four-game RMAC series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 25 beginning at 12 p.m. and then will conclude the series with a 12 p.m. game on Sunday, March 26.