PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball returned home to Rawlings Field for the first time in 17 days here Thursday afternoon as the ThunderWolves opened a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series against MSU Denver with 24-2 setback to the Roadrunners.
 
The loss was the fourth straight for the Pack as they fell to 17-12 overall and 6-7 in the RMAC, while MSU Denver won its second straight game as they improved to 15-16 overall and 6-7 in the league. The Pack and Roadrunners are now tied for fifth place in the league standings.
 
Thursday's game, which was ended after the seventh inning due to the RMAC 12-run mercy rule, was the first of a four-game series this weekend against the Roadrunners as the two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. and will conclude the series with a 12 p.m. game on Sunday.
 
The Roadrunners scored in five of the seven innings that were played, including scoring six runs in the second, four runs in the fifth and 11 runs in the sixth inning. MSU Denver finished the game with 24 hits as they had 12 extra-base hits in the wins, including five home runs and seven doubles against the Pack pitching staff.
 
For the game, the Pack recorded six hits and scored both of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore centerfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) and a wild pitch by MSU Denver starting pitcher Jack Slominski.
 
Six different Pack players recorded a hit in Thursday's series opener.
 
The game was expected to be a pitcher's duel against between two of the top pitchers in the league – Pack senior Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho) and Slominski. Curtis entered the game with a 3.86 ERA on the season and was tied for the league lead in wins with five, while Slominski was second in the league in strikeouts with 43 and leading the league in strikeout to walk ratio at 10.75.
 
But the duel never developed as Curtis (5-2) was able to last only 4.2 innings as he allowed 12 hits and 13 runs, while walking two and striking out three. Curtis entered the game having walked just four hitters in his first 44.1 innings this season. Curtis allowed two runs in the first, six runs in the second, one run in the fourth and four runs in the fifth inning before being replaced by sophomore Cade Bleeker (Mesa, Ariz./Desert Ridge).
 
Meanwhile, Slominski (4-3) pitched six innings and allowed five hits and two runs, while walking two and fanning seven in his 95-pitch outing.
 
MSU Denver got the scoring started in the top of the first on a 2-run single by Andre Chacon.
 
The Roadrunners added six runs in the top of the second thanks to a two-run homers by Jesse Velders and Zach Schuler and a solo homer by Cam Yuran.
 
MSU Denver added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Schuler to take a 9-0 lead.
 
Cal Walsh gave the Roadrunners a 10-0 lead on his RBI double to left center, while Yuran drilled a three-run homer down the right field line to give the Roadrunners a 13-0 lead. Yuran's homer chased Curtis from the game.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Pack scored its only two runs of the game as junior shortstop Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College) reached on a one-one walk, moved to third on a double to center by junior third baseman Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) and scored on Sanchez's ground out. With senior leftfielder Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) at the plate, Slominski uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Snodgrass to score the Pack's second run.
 
The Roadrunners put the game fully out of reach in the top of the sixth as they sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs on 11 hits to take a 24-2 lead in the game.
 
MSU Denver would load the bases in the seventh, but freshman reliever Michael Casillas (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East), who was making his collegiate debut, would get out of the jam by forcing Gavin Schmeh to line out to junior Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) in right to end the inning.
 
The Pack got its final hit of the game in the bottom of the seventh on a pinch hit double down the left field line by junior Kolten Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa).
 
Walsh led the way offensively for the Roadrunners as he was 4-for-5 with four runs scored and 4 RBI, while Yuran had three hits, three runs scored, and 6 RBI and Jake Williams also had three hits and scored three runs. Tyler Tobey also had three hits in the win and three runs scored in the win and Velders scored five runs and Schuler had 5 RBI.