GREELEY, Colo. (April 26, 2023) - The Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team faced its second Division I opponent over the last two weeks and battled University of Northern Colorado, falling 9-3 to the Bears Wednesday at Jackson Field.

UNC used a four-run sixth inning to take its first lead and would not look back.

For the Pack, Kysen Howard (So., Overland Park, Kan.) led the team and went 3-for-5 with two RBI.

Reggie Williams (Sr., Castle Rock, Colo.) finished with two hits and Edmund King (Jr., Imperial Beach, Calif.) recorded an RBI and a double in the efforts.

The ThunderWolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead through 4 1/2 innings and scored single runs in each of the third thru fifth innings.

UNC scored a pair of runs in their half of the fifth on an RBI-single up the middle and the second run came on a walk issued with the bases loaded. With two outs and the bases still juiced, Pack starting pitcher Frank Wierman (So., Surprise, Ariz.) was removed from the game and Travis Farrell (So., Las Vegas, Nev.) came on in relief. 

The home team scored all four of their runs in the sixth inning after Farrell was able to record two quick outs, the Bears earned back-to-back walks and each player would come around to score in the next at-bat on a two-run triple.

In the next at-bat, Farrell threw a wild pitch, allowing a third run to cross the plate and give the Bears a 5-3 lead.

Ruben Portillo (Gr., Thornton, Colo.) was next called upon and inherited the runner at first and he gave up back-to-back walks and threw a pair of wild pitches to allow the runner to score before a strikeout ended the inning with the ThunderWolves down 6-3.

CSU Pueblo was held to two hits over the last three innings and put two runners on base in each of the seventh and ninth innings.

The Bears tacked on three more runs on three hits during their half of the eighth inning.

CSU Pueblo was unable to get the tying run to the plate in the ninth after a single with two outs was ended by a strikeout swinging.

CSU Pueblo (18-28, 14-14 RMAC) will have the next week off before returning to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action and host Regis in the regular season finale starting Thursday, May 4 at Rawlings Field.

The series opener will feature the annual Pack the Park event with the ThunderWolves hosting a youth clinch prior to first pitch.