PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball continued its struggles in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play here Friday afternoon as the ThunderWolves fell 7-1 in the nightcap of its doubleheader against MSU Denver at Rawlings Field.
With the setback, the Pack have dropped six straight games and move its record to 17-14 overall and 6-9 in the RMAC, while MSU Denver improved to 17-16 overall and 8-7 in the RMAC. The Roadrunners have won the first three games of the series by a combined score of 41-10.
The teams will complete the four-game series with a single nine inning game on Saturday, March 30 at 12 p.m.
The Pack, who fell 10-7 in the opener of Friday's doubleheader, was held to six hits by six different played in the nightcap and committed two errors on defense.
In the nightcap, each team struggled with runners on base as the teams combined to leave 15 runners on base as MSU Denver stranded nine runners, while the Pack left six runners on base. The Pack also hit into three double plays in the nightcap.
The Roadrunners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a 2-run homer over the fence in right center by Tyler Tobey off sophomore hurler
Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection), who made his third start of the season for the Pack.
MSU Denver's lead grew to 4-0 in the top of the third inning on a 2-run homer by Jesse Velders.
The Roadrunners pushed its lead to 6-0 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to three hits and a Pack error. One of the two runs came home on a fielder's choice and the second run scored on a wild pitch by junior reliever
Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who replaced Ruby earlier in the inning after he allowed a lead-off double to Tobey.
CSU Pueblo took advantage of an error in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate its only run of the game. Sophomore centerfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) led off the inning with a walk, moved to second on a single by junior first baseman
Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) and moved to third on an error on a fielder's choice hit by junior second baseman
Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada). The next hitter in the Pack line-up, senior leftfielder
Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) hit a grounder to short for a fielder's choice and that allowed Sanchez to score the Pack's first and only run of the game.
In the seventh, the Roadrunners loaded the bases thanks to two hit batsmen, a throwing error by Howard at third base, a single by Cam Yuran and scored a run on Howard's error.
Ruby (1-2) took the loss on the mound for the Pack as he tossed three-plus innings and allowed six hits and five runs, while striking out two and walking none. Petersheim pitched the final four-plus innings and allowed five hits and two runs (one earned), while walking one and fanning three.
MSU Denver finished with 11 hits in the nightcap as Tobey and Velders each had three hits and combined for 4 RBI and three runs scored. Andrew Biddle added two hits in the win.
Reichie Arcilise (3-1) pitched a complete game as he allowed six hits and one unearned run, while walking three and fanning six.
