PUEBLO, Colo. (February 24, 2024) - The Colorado State University Pueblo softball team's offense came alive in a big way on Saturday and scored 17 runs and 23 hits in the Pack's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home opener against Chadron State.

CSU Pueblo won the series opener in dramatic fashion and came away with a 12-11 (8 inn.) win and late-game rally fell short in a 6-5 loss in the nightcap.

Zoie Armstrong (Jr., Lincoln, Neb.) hit her first career walk-off for the ThunderWolves in game one and collected four RBI. Caitlyn Cole (So., Merced, Calif.) smacked her second home run of the season in game two.

Freshman Emma Case (Loveland, Colo.) had herself a breakout game in the opener and went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, a run and one walk.

McKenna James (So., Windsor, Colo.) earned her first win in the circle in game one and threw 4.2 innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. She finished with one strikeout and two walks.

Game one recap
In the opener, Chadron jumped in front early and scored a run in the first before putting up four more in the second inning and built an early 5-0 lead before the ThunderWolves went to bat in the second. In the frame, Lucy Carney (Jr., Lakewood, Colo.) came on to pitch with two outs in the second.

During the home half of the second frame, Madelyn Huerta (So., Azusa, Calif.) led-off with a walk and moved into scoring position on a single through the left side.

After a fly out in the next at-bat, Armstrong stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run bomb over the wall in right center to get the ThunderWolves on the board.

With two outs, Delaney Barela (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) drew a walk and stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Raelynn Rogers (Jr., Surprise, Ariz.) next came to the plate and hit a single up the middle to score Barela and tie the game at 4-4 going to the third inning.

In the top of the third, James issued a lead-off walk that would eventually come around to score and gave the Eagles a two-run lead.

For the ThunderWolves in the bottom half, back-to-back singles by Huerta and Ashley Tosh (Jr., Fremont, Calif.) was followed by a two-RBI double by Case down the left field line evened the score at 6-6.

Over the next two innings, Chadron State scored five more runs and created a five-run lead 11-6 as the ThunderWolves went to bat in the fifth inning.

CSU Pueblo got one run closer when Cole drew a walk to start the inning and advanced to second on a sac ground out. She would come around to score on a RBI-double by Case.

James was called on to pitch again in the sixth inning and retired the Eagles over the next two innings to get the ThunderWolves back on offense in the bottom of the seventh.

Starting the last at-bat, Cole tripled to right and got the ball rolling for the Pack. Huerta batted in Cole in the next at-bat with a single up the middle.

Huerta moved to second on a ground out in the next at-bat and scored off a single by Case and an error by the Eagles defense.

Marissa Keck (Fr., Pueblo, Colo.) came on to pinch-hit with one out and she hit a single through the right side, moving Case to third. Keck later stole second to get two runners in scoring position.

After a fly out to right, Barela came up and tied the game, 11-11 with a two-run single to left center.

Rogers singled in the next at-bat before a fly out ended the scoring threat and sent the game to extra innings.

In the Chadron's half of the eighth, James retired the Eagles in order to quickly get the Pack back on offense.

For the ThunderWolves, Cole singled to the pitcher and advanced to second on a sac bunt from Huerta. 

Following a strikeout, Case drew a walk to bring Armstrong to the plate and with a 0-2 count, smacked a single to right and scored the speedy Cole from second to give the ThunderWolves the one-run, 12-11 victory.

Game two recap
In the second game, the ThunderWolves had to play from behind for a second game after going down 5-0 after three innings before the ThunderWolves got on the board on the Cole solo home run in the third inning.

The Pack scored a single run in their half of the fifth after Cole led-off with a double and would score thanks to a defensive error to cut the deficit to 5-2.

The score went unchanged heading to the seventh and in the top half, the Eagles plated another run with a hit by pitch with the bases loaded.

Trailing by four runs going to the bottom of the seventh, Keck and Cole reached safely for the ThunderWolves and both scored on a two-run double to left by Tosh.

Case stepped in next and scored Tosh from second with a RBI-single to center field and brought the winning-run to the plate in Armstrong. 

A called strike three against Armstrong ended the game at 7-6 and left the tying run on base for the Pack.

Marissa Robertson (So., Rocklin, Calif.) suffered the loss and falls to 1-4 on the year. Robertson threw 1.1 innings and allowed three runs, three walks and two hits.

Jacelynn Trujillo (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) pitched 5.2 innings and gave up three runs on five hits and two walks and four strikeouts.

Up Next
CSU Pueblo (3-14, 1-5 RMAC) concludes the series with two more games schedule for Sunday starting at 11 a.m. at Rawlings Sports Complex.