PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo baseball squad split Friday's double-header at home vs. Montana State University-Billings, winning the first game and dropping the second.

With the 1-1 Friday outing, the Pack improve to 10-4 on the season, while MSU Billings improves to 5-11 on the season. The Pack won Game One 12-4 and dropped Game Two 15-8. CSU Pueblo remains with the best record in the RMAC with non-conference play wrapping up.

GAME ONE
The Pack put their foot on the gas in the first inning and never looked back. CSU Pueblo had three hitters with two or more hits in the game as junior centerfielder Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) led the charge, going 2-for-5 with a grand slam and four RBI's.

Junior leftfielder Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) continued his offensive tear as the reigning D2 and RMAC Player of the Week went 2-for-3, knocking in three RBI's.

Senior pitcher Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho) pitched a gem, as the righty went the distance (7 innings) with a complete game, just allowing four runs, and picked up the win.

CSU Pueblo threw the first punch in the first inning as junior second baseman Joseph Quintana (Golden, Colo./Erskine College) drove in a run with an RBI groundout. MSU Billings answered in the second inning with a Kaden Kirshenbaum solo homerun, but that is as close as the Yellow Jackets would get.

In the bottom of the second inning, Snodgrass broke the game wide open when he blasted a grand slam over the left field fence, giving the Pack a 5-1 lead. Castaneda continued the second inning onslaught as the doubled in a run and the ThunderWolves led 6-1 after two innings.

The Pack scored another run on a bad pickoff move by MSU Billings in the third inning, scoring another run, and in the top of the fifth inning the Yellow Jackets were able to hit another solo homerun from Zack Blaszak. CSU Pueblo answered again in the bottom half of the inning when junior right fielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) blasted a two RBI single to right field to put the ThunderWolves up 9-2.

CSU Pueblo scored three more runs in the sixth inning when junior designated hitter Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) walked in a run, and Castaneda singled in a couple more runs.
MSU Billings was able to get a few runs off Curtis when the game was out of reach in the top of the seventh and the Pack eventually won 12-4.

GAME TWO
CSU Pueblo had to play catch up in game two as they fell behind early in the first inning as MSU Billings was able to knock three runs in off redshirt senior pitcher Edwing Corrales (Delicias, Mexico/Otero JC). The Pack did answer in the bottom half when Borjas knocked in a run on a fielder's choice to cut the lead to 3-1.

MSU Billings continued their hot start to game two as Ryan Jeffrey blasted a solo homerun over the right field wall. Payton Flynn was able to knock in a run, and then Kirshenbaum tripled in two runs on a left center gapper to give the Yellow Jackets a 7-1 lead.

The Pack did not give up as Reginato singled in a run in the third inning, but MSU Billings continued their hot hitting as they scored two more in the top of the fourth inning.
CSU Pueblo finally started to make some headway as junior catcher Brady Ingalls (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) tripled in two runs to make it 9-4, and then senior shortstop Cole Knightley (Solvang, Calif./Santa Ynez) drove in a run on an RBI groundout.

With the score 9-5, Jeffrey knocked in another run for MSU Billings in the fifth, but once again the Pack responded as Castaneda doubled in a run, senior first baseman Edmund King (Imperial Beach, Calif./Southwestern) knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Snodgrass singled in a run. Just like that the Pack found themselves back in the game, trailing 10-8.

That is as close as MSU Billings would allow the ThunderWolves to get. In the seventh the Yellow Jackets exploded four more run and one more in the eighth. The Pack made some noise in the eighth and ninth but were unable to convert anything to any more runs.

MSU Billings won game two 15-8.

WORDS FROM THE SKIPPER
Head Coach Bobby Applegate said after the game "I thought we had a quality outing (game one) from Tyler Curtis. Our offense did a great job of staying on pitches and taking what they gave us." Applegate also said "I felt Wyatt Reginato had a solid day getting on base and scoring for us."

In reference to game two "It was tough out of the gate. We got down early and played catch up the whole game. We got within two at the bottom of the sixth, but that got away from us." Applegate also said "We hit some balls hard and just need to stay with the process."

UP NEXT FOR THE PACK
The ThunderWolves are back at it tomorrow as they host MSU Billings once more in a double-header. First pitch will be at noon tomorrow at Rawlings Field with game two to follow 30 after the conclusion of game one.