COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team continued their winning ways, knocking off fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs 16-6 in a non-conference affair on the road at Mountain Lion Park.

With Tuesday's win, the ThunderWolves improve to 6-2, while UCCS fell to 2-11. The Pack continue to have the best record in the RMAC on this young season.

In Tuesday's game, the Pack offense exploded for 17 hits and scored 16 runs, including four innings scoring two or more runs. The Pack did allow 11 hits, but only allowed the six runs and did not commit an error on the afternoon.

The Pack offense was paced by senior left fielder Christiana Casteneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) as he exploded for three homeruns, going 3-for-5, driving in four RBI's. Casteneda leads the team with six home runs.

Junior leadoff hitter Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) continued his scorching hot start to the season as he went 4-for-6 on the afternoon, driving in three RBI's. Snodgrass' .424 batting average is best on the Pack and sixth best in the RMAC.

CSU Pueblo leads the conference in team batting average with a .309 average.

Junior pitcher Cameron Saso (McKinleyville, Calif./Folsom Lake) picked up the win (1-1), pitching five strong innings, allowing seven hits and four runs.

The Pack got started early and never looked back. Junior designated hitter Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) drove in the first run of the game in the top half of the first with a single to left field, driving in Snodgrass. After a Casteneda walk, junior first baseman Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada) singled in a run to put the Pack up 2-0. Junior right fielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) polished off the inning with an RBI double down the right field line and the Pack led 3-0 after half an inning.

The Pack continued their hot start in the top of the second inning with a two out rally. Reginato walked after UCCS started the inning off with two strikeouts, and then Casteneda stepped up and bombed a two-run opposite field home run to put the Pack up 5-0.

Borjas did the only damage in the third inning as he hit a solo home run to center and the Pack led 6-0.

UCCS knocked in their first runs of the afternoon in the bottom of the third when Alec Gomez hit an RBI groundout. Kasey Campbell knocked in a run as well on a single to right field and the Mountain Lions cut the lead down to 6-2.

CSU Pueblo continued their offensive onslaught with another Casteneda home run in the top of the fourth inning as the Texan knocked a solo home run over the center field wall.

CSU Pueblo had another big inning in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded senior shortstop Cole Knightley (Solvang, Calif./Santa Ynez) doubled down the left field line to drive in two more runs. Snodgrass came up next and drove in two more runs with a single down the right field line and the Pack led 11-2. Snodgrass also came around to score on a wild pitch and the Pack took a 12-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth.

UCCS was able to tack on two more runs in the bottom half of the inning when Caleb Chance had an RBI groundout and Evan Steinberger singled in a run.

Both teams settled down until the eighth inning as UCCS knocked in another run on a Sac Fly to cut the lead down to 12-5.

The Pack scored four more runs in the ninth inning starting with an RBI double from Snodgrass. Snodgrass came around to score on wild pitch and the Pack led 14-5. Casteneda polished off the hat trick, hitting another solo home run. Junior Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) was able to pinch hit and drove in a run as well to put the Pack up 16-5.

UCCS tacked on one more run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI double from Chance, but that is all they would get and the Pack won 16-6.

WORDS FROM THE SKIPPER
"I was pleased with Camerson Saso's performance today giving us five strong. It was important for him to get out the gates" said Head Coach Bobby Applegate. "Sold offensive day, both from Christian Casteneda with three home runs and Elijah Borjas. Our offense has done a good job to this point. We are looking forward to a big weekend series vs. Colorado Christian."

UP NEXT FOR THE PACK
CSU Pueblo returns to the diamond this weekend with a three-game series vs. Colorado Christian University. Games one and three will be in Pueblo at Rawlings Field on Friday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., while game two will be in Lakewood, Colo., on Saturday at 12 p.m.