PUEBLO, Colo. - Colorado State University Pueblo baseball used a strong starting pitcher performance from senior righthander Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada) and two home runs and five RBI from junior designated hitter Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) to help the ThunderWolves post a 9-1 non-conference win here Friday afternoon over Colorado Christian at Rawlings Field. 

With the win, the Pack improved to 7-2 on the season, while CCU fell to 1-10 overall on the season. The Pack are now 2-0 at home on the season with Friday's win. 

Friday's win was keyed by a Pack offense that scored all nine of its runs in the first four innings, including scoring five runs in the second inning. The Pack are averaging 8.4 runs per game this season. The Pack offense finished the game with 10 hits, including two hits each from Reginato and junior third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest). 

Reginato got the scoring started in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer on the second pitch he saw from CCU starting hurler Jake Gimbel. The homer was the first of the season for Reginato. Reginato's homer came after junior second baseman Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) draw a lead-off walk. 

The Pack's lead grew to 4-0 in the bottom of the second on a two-run double to right center by junior shortstop Rob Mansour (LaVerne, Calif./Cuesta College) and then two batters later Reginato drilled a 2-1 pitch from Gimbel over the wall in right center for a 3-run homer to give the Pack a 7-0 lead through two innings of action. Reginato's homer brought home Snodgrass, who was hit by a pitch and Mansour. 

In the bottom of the third, the Pack added another run as sophomore centerfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) reached on a one-out double, moved to third when junior catcher Brady Ingalls (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) was hit by a pitch and scored the eighth run of the game on a wild pitch by Gimbel. 

The Pack grew its lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI double by bbjunior third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) that allowed junior rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) to score after he reached base after getting hit by a Gimbel pitch. 

Senior hurler Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho) lost his bid for a shutout in the top of the seventh thanks to a double by Luke Thompson and an RBI single by Tucker Willingham to cut the Pack's lead to 9-1. 

Curtis turned his third straight solid start to the 2024 season as he tossed seven innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking none and striking out seven to lower his RMAC leading ERA on the season to 1.50. On the season, Curtis is 3-0 and in 18 innings this season, he has allowed 16 hits, three runs, walked three and had struck out 19.

The Pack bullpen would pitch two shutout innings to preserve the eight-run victory. 

CCU, who finished the game with six hits, got two hits from Thompson in the loss. 
 
Gimbel (0-3) pitched four innings for the Cougars and allowed nine runs on nine hits, while walking two and fanning four. Justin Estrada and Jack Cazin pitched four shutout innings in relief of Gimbel. 

The Pack left seven runners on base and committed an error, while CCU left five runners on base. The Pack defense also turned two double plays in the victory. 

The Pack will continue its weekend series with the Cougars on Saturday, Feb. 24 with a 12 p.m. game in Lakewood, before concluding the weekend with a 2 p.m. game on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Rawlings Field.