ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball put the brakes on a season-long 10-game losing streak here Wednesday afternoon as the ThunderWolves posted an impressive 8-6 victory over NCAA Division I University of New Mexico on Jackie Robinson Day at Santa Ana Star Field.

The win was the first for the Pack against an NCAA Division I foe since earning a 7-6 win in Las Cruces, N.M., against New Mexico State University on April 2, 2008. Ironically, that win came in the second of the two-game set against the Aggies, much like Wednesday's win over the Lobos was.

New Mexico won Tuesday's opener of the two-game series after scoring two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth to earn an 8-7 walk-off victory.

With Wednesday's win, CSU Pueblo improves to 13-24 overall on the season, while New Mexico falls to 17-14. The Pack are now 6-23 all-time against New Mexico on the diamond and that win was the first for the Pack against the Lobos since earning a 14-13 win in Albuquerque on March 10, 1994.

In Wednesday's game, Pack head coach Bobby Applegate adjusted his line-up as four regular starters in the line-up – senior first baseman Reggie Williams (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County), senior catcher Brady Prewitt (Raytown, Mo./Iowa Western CC), redshirt senior shortstop Trey Vasquez (Greeley, Colo./Dodge City CC) and senior centerfielder Noah Hennings (Draper, Utah/Southern Idaho) – did not play in the game.

That switch seemed to work against the Lobos as the Pack offense outhit UNM, 16-13, and drew four walks in the game and struck out just five times. In Tuesday's game, the Pack had 11 hits, committed two errors, walked one time and struck out seven times in the one-run loss.

Junior leftfielder Christian Casteneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) continued his hot play of late as he was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Casteneda seemed to enjoy Lobo pitching as he went 5-for-8 in the two games with three runs scored and an RBI.

In addition to Casteneda, freshman catcher Cody Macias (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) also had three hits, while sophomore rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood), junior designated hitter Edmund King (Imperial Beach, Calif./Southwestern) and redshirt junior Cole Knightley (Solvang, Calif./Santa Ynez) each had two hits in the win. Knightley also scored two run and had 3 RBI.

The Pack defense also played error free in Wednesday's game, which snapped a nine-game streak of committing at least one error in game. The last time the Pack did not commit an error was in a 4-3 home loss on March 26 against Colorado Mines. The Pack is 6-6 this season when not committing an error.

Much like Tuesday's game, the Lobos struck first as Jake Holland and Deylan Pigford hit back-to-back homers to lead off the bottom of the second against redshirt freshman hurdler Caden English (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield), who was making his first collegiate start.

The Pack, though, came right back in the top of the third and tied the game thanks to an RBI double by Borjas and an RBI single through the right side by Casteneda. The inning began with a lead-off double by Macias. The double was the first extra-base hit in Macias' collegiate career and just his second career hit overall.

UNM retook the lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Reed Spenrath. Spenrath's eighth double of the season gave the Lobos a 3-2 lead.

The Pack would once again rally as they used three hits to score two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-3 advantage. Knightley led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a bunt single by sophomore second baseman Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) and after Macias used a bunt to put runners on second third with one out, freshman centerfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) tied the game on his RBI single up the middle and then sophomore third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) followed with a sacrifice fly to give the visitors a 4-3 lead.

CSU Pueblo would extend its lead to 7-3 in the top of the fifth with all three of those runs scoring on a 3-run blast over the wall in left by Knightley off UNM reliever Brett Russell. The homer was the second of the season for Knightley.

UNM would get one of the those runs back in the bottom of the fifth on a lead-off homer by Jeffrey David off redshirt junior hurler Edwing Corrales (Delicias, Mexico/Otero JC), who relieved English after allowing that double in the third by Spenrath. David's homer made the score 7-4 in favor of the Pack.

In the seventh, the Pack added an insurance run thanks to an RBI single by Macias that scored freshman first baseman Ty Thurman (Buckeye, Ariz./Liberty), who had led off the inning with a double. The double was one of six hit by the Pack in the game and that gave CSU Pueblo an 8-4 lead.

The Lobos would get a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Justin Olson and after walking Holland to load the bases with one out, Corrales would get out of the jam by inducing Pigford to line into a 4-3 double play to end the inning.

UNM would add another run to its tally in the eighth off freshman hurler Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian), who replaced Corrales on the mound to open the eighth. The run was scored on an RBI single by David.

In the ninth, the Lobos put two runners on base thanks to a walk and a hit by pitch by graduate student reliever Ruben Portillo (Thornton, Colo./Eastern Arizona CC), but unlike Tuesday's game, those two runners would be stranded on base as Portillo forced the hero from Tuesday's game, Konner Kinkade, to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game and seal Portillo's first save of the season.

Corrales (1-2) earned the win in relief as he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed six hits and two runs, while walking two and fanning one.

Portillo tossed two scoreless innings and allowed just one hit, while walking one and fanning two.

Benjamin Baker-Livingston (0-3) took the loss on the mound for the Lobos as he pitched four innings and allowed eight hits and four runs, while walking one and fanning two.

UNM, who finished with 13 hits in the game, was paced offensively by a 4-for-5 day at the plate by David. In addition to David, who had two doubles in the game, Lenny Ashby, Jr. added three hits and Chase Weissenborn finished with two hits for the Lobos.

Both teams combined to leave 21 runners on base as the Lobos stranded 11 and the Pack left 10 on base.

The Pack will return to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play this weekend as they play back-to-back doubleheader on Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16 in Lakewood, Colo., against Colorado Christian University. First pitch both days is schedule for 12 p.m., with the second game to follow around 3 p.m.