LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo stepped back into Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play here Saturday afternoon by taking both ends of doubleheader against Colorado Christian at All-Star Park.
 
The ThunderWolves, who split two mid-week contests earlier this week at NCAA Division I University of New Mexico, opened Saturday's first game with a 14-5 win and then capped the sweep with a 12-10 victory in the nightcap.
 
With the two wins, CSU Pueblo improves to 15-24 overall and moves back to .500 in the RMAC with an 11-11 record, while CCU falls to 10-24-1 overall and 6-12 in the RMAC.
 
The two teams will conclude the weekend series that was pushed back from three days to two days and back-to-back doubleheaders on Sunday, April 16 beginning at 12 p.m.
 
GAME 1 | CSU Pueblo 14, Colorado Christian 5
In Saturday's opener, the Pack offense recorded 17 hits and used a combined 12 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including scoring eight runs in the eighth, to turn a 2-all game into a 14-4 lead, before CCU scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to cap the scoring.
 
Senior first baseman Reggie Williams (Castle Rock, Colo./Douglas County) paced the Pack offense with a 4-for-5 effort at the plate as he also scored four runs and had 3 RBI. In addition to Williams, redshirt senior shortstop Trey Vasquez (Greeley, Colo./Dodge City CC) also was 4-for-5 with two runs scored, while sophomore second baseman Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) added three hits and scored two runs.
 
For the game, five Pack players recorded multi-hits in the game and four players scored at least two runs in the game. Seven of the Pack's 17 hits went for extra bases, including hitting three home runs, with all of them coming in the eighth inning.
 
CCU got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second as they used a walk, an error by sophomore third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest), a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly by Aaron Morgan to score an unearned run against Pack junior starting hurler Zach Pratt (Belton, Mo./Metropolitan CC).
 
The Pack tied the game in the top of the third on an RBI single to left center by junior designated hitter Christian Casteneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC), which scored Williams, who had reached on a one-out single to right center.
 
CCU, though, retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Morgan to push in front 2-1.
 
Williams scored the Pack's second run of the game in the top of the fifth as he opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a ground out by Howard and scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood).
 
In the seventh, the Pack offense used three hits to score four runs to take a 6-2 lead in the game. Williams brought home the first run on an RBI single to left, while Borjas plated Williams with the second run on his double to left. The next two runs by the Pack were scored by wild pitches from Saxton Sorenson, who replaced CCU starter Jake Gimbel following Borjas' double.
 
The Cougars would get two of those runs back to pull within 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a 2-run double by Luke Thompson off sophomore reliever Frank Wierman (Surprise, Ariz./Shadow Creek), who replaced Pratt prior to Thompson's at-bat.
 
In the eighth, the Pack offense recorded six hits, sent 11 hitters to the plate and scored eight runs to take a 14-4 lead. In the inning, Vasquez had two hits, including a solo homer to cap the inning's scoring. In addition to Vasquez's two hits, Miller drove home a run with his RBI double to left center, while Williams hit a 2-run double to right center. The next four runs were scored on 2-run homers by both Howard and junior catcher Brady Prewitt (Raytown, Mo./Iowa Western CC). Howard's homer was an inside-the-park home run, while Prewitt's went over the fence in right.
 
The Pack appeared poised to add to its lead in the ninth as they put runners on base thanks to walks issued by Johnny Tewinkle, but Tewinkle got out the by retiring the final two batters he faced in the inning.
 
CCU would add a run in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run by Eli Ludwig to cap the scoring.
 
The Cougars finished the game with seven hits, including two each from Thompson and Ludwig.
 
Pratt (3-2) earned the win on the mound for the Pack as he tossed 6.2 innings and allowed five hits and four runs (three earned), while walking two and striking out seven. Pratt has now recorded seven or more strikeouts in six of his 10 starts this season.
 
Wierman tossed 2.1 innings in relief and allowed two hits and one run, while striking out two and walking none.
 
Gimbel (4-4) took the loss for CCU as he pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 11 hits and six runs, while walking one and striking out two.
 
Both teams committed an error and the teams combined to leave 13 runners on base as CSU Pueblo left eight and the Cougars left five.
 
GAME 2 | CSU Pueblo 12, Colorado Christian 10 (9 inns.)
In the nightcap, the Pack offense also recorded 17 hits, but needed extra innings to complete the sweep as they scored two runs in the top of the ninth to seal the 12-10 win.
 
The two runs came in the ninth after both teams scored three runs in eighth after the game was tied at 7-all after seven innings.
 
Holding a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, CCU tied the game on a solo home run on a 2-2 pitch from junior hurler Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho) by Gabe Ramos to open the inning. Following the homer, junior Dylan Weaver (Fruita, Colo./Highland CC) replaced Curtis on the mound and retired the next three Cougars in order, including striking out two of the three batters he faced.
 
In the top of the eighth, Borjas gave the Pack an 8-7 lead on his RBI single to right and Casteneda then followed with a 2-run double to left center to give the Pack a 10-7 lead.
 
The Cougars, though, responded in the bottom of the eighth, as Ramos was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run and then Jordan Medina followed with a 2-run single to center to tie the game at 10-all.
 
Senior centerfielder Noah Hennings (Draper, Utah/Southern Utah) opened the ninth with a lead-off single, moved to second on bunt and after Williams drew a walk with two outs, Howard delivered an RBI single to right to plate Hennings to give the Pack an 11-10 lead. Borjas then followed with an RBI double down the left field line to plate Williams with the 12th run and give the Pack a 12-10 lead.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, graduate student reliever Ruben Portillo (Thornton, Colo./Erskine) relieved Weaver on the mound and after allowed a lead-off single to Morgan, he would force Major Maydon to pop out for the first out and then induced Caden Walton to hit into a game-ending 4-3 double play to seal his second save of the season.
 
The Pack opened the scoring in the nightcap with two runs in the top of the first on a 2-run single by Prewitt. In the inning, Williams and Howard both walked to open the game and then moved runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, before scoring on the 2-out single by Prewitt.
 
CCU got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first to drop the Pack's lead to 2-1 and then added two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. The big hits in the inning were an RBI triple by Frankie Shearn and an RBI single by Ludwig.
 
The Pack would tie the game at 3-all in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by senior leftfielder Zac Hanenberg (Cañon City, Colo./ Cañon City).
 
In the fifth inning, the Pack used three hits to score three runs and take a 6-3 lead. Howard opened the scoring in a 2-run homer and Casteneda followed later in the inning with a solo home run.
 
But once again, the home team Cougars would battle back as they plated three runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 6-all. The big hit was a 2-run homer by Maydon.
 
The Pack would retake the lead in the sixth as Miller reached on a one-out double, moved to third on a single by Williams and scored the seven run of the game on a sacrifice bunt by Howard.
 
CCU, though, used that Ramos homer in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and force extra innings.
 
After going 4-for-5 in the opener, Williams was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored in the nightcap. In addition to Williams, Howard and Casteneda each had three hits and Borjas added two hits. Howard also scored times and had 4 RBI batting in the No. 2 spot in the line-up.
 
In the nightcap, all nine starters in the Pack batting line-up recorded at least one hit and seven of the nine starters scored a run.
 
Curtis tossed six-plus innings and allowed 12 hits and seven runs, while walking one and striking out three. Weaver (3-3) earned the win as he pitched two innings and allowed three hits and three runs, while walking one and fanning three.
 
CCU finished with 16 hits in the nightcap with Ludwig and Shearn each recording three hits and scoring two runs each. In addition, Ramos, Medina and Morgan each had two hits.
 
The teams combined for 22 runs and 33 hits in the nightcap. In addition, the teams combined to leave 17 runners on base as the Pack left 10 and CCU stranded seven.
 
Chaz Graham (0-1) took the loss as he pitched 3.2 innings in relief of Harrison Nation and allowed eight hits and five runs, while walking one and striking out two. Nation pitched 5.1 innings and allowed nine hits and seven runs, while striking out six and walking four.
 
Both teams also had an error in the nightcap.