CANYON, Tex. (February 10, 2024) - The Colorado State University Pueblo softball team lost a pair of nonconference games on Saturday at the West Texas Invite, falling 10-2 (5 inn.) against Eastern New Mexico in the first game and dropping a 10-7 decision against host-No. 4 West Texas at Schaeffer Park.

On the day, the ThunderWolves collected 14 hits and was led by Caitlyn Cole (So., Merced, Calif.) who went for three hits in the two games and hit her first home run of the year in game two against West Texas.

Ashley Tosh (Jr., Fremont, Calif.) went yard for the first time this year with a three-run bomb during a three-run seventh inning against WT.

ENMU Recap
Facing Eastern New Mexico for a second time on the young season, the Pack and the Greyhounds went scoreless through the first two innings before the designated home team plated three runs on two hits and one Pack error to go ahead 3-0. The ThunderWolves responded in their next at bat and got within a run after scoring two runs on a RBI-double hit by Cole and a RBI sac fly from Juliannah Jimenez (Fr., Elk Grove, Calif.).

ENMU erupted for six more runs in their next at bat on three hits and two more errors on the ThunderWolves defense and built a 9-2 lead.

In the fifth, CSU Pueblo got two runners on base before the side was retired, sending the Pack back on the field. The Greyhounds would score the winning run after the first runner reached base and would come around to score in the next at bat on a throwing error for the 10-2 (5 inning) run-rule victory.

In the circle, Marissa Robertson (So., Rocklin, Calif.) was tabbed with the loss after throwing 3.0 innings and allowed seven runs and six earned, along with five strikeouts and two walks. She falls to 0-2 on the year. 

Jacelynn Trujillo (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) came on in relief and pitched 1.1 innings and allowed three runs and two earned.

WT Recap
Battling the No. 4 Lady Buffs for the third time in two weeks, the ThunderWolves battled against the nationally ranked home team and collected 12 hits in the game and three extra-base hits. Four ThunderWolves recorded two hits in the game.

Cole and Tosh accounted for all six RBI for the Pack.

The Lady Buffs started the scoring and would go ahead 5-0 after their first two at-bats and CSU Pueblo followed it up with a run in their half of the first inning on aggressive base running when Marissa Keck (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) was part of a double steal and the throw home was not in time to put the ThunderWolves on the board.

After a scoreless third inning from both teams, WT scored two runs in the fourth and the Pack bounced back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth on a three-run bomb by Cole to get the Pack within a 7-4 deficit going to the sixth inning.

West Texas scored three more runs between the sixth and seventh innings for a six-run lead going to the last at-bat for the Pack.

In their last chance on offense, CSU Pueblo got the first two batters on base and after a ground out on the infield, Tosh stepped in the box and belted her three-run shot to cut the lead in half.

The ThunderWolves would get one more runner on base before a ground out ended the game, 10-7 in favor of West Texas.

In the circle, McKenna James (So., Windsor, Colo.) went the distance and gave up ten runs, all earned and allowed six walks and finished with three strikeouts, falling to 0-4 on the year.

On Deck
CSU Pueblo (1-8) was scheduled to play against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Sunday but due to inclement weather forecast, the game has been canceled. The Pack will open the home slate of the schedule on Wednesday when they welcome Northwest Oklahoma State for a nonconference doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. at Rawlings Sports Complex.