PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball used strong starting pitching performance from junior
Cameron Saso (McKinleyville, Calif./Folsom Lake) and two hits, three runs scored and 2 RBI from freshman centerfielder
Logan Kelly (San Juan Capistrano, Valley/Capistrano Valley Christian) to post a 12-4 win over Colorado Christian in Friday afternoon's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series opener at Rawlings Field.
With the win, the ThunderWolves improve to 21-16 overall and 10-11 in the RMAC, while CCU falls to 4-30 overall and 2-15 in the league. The two teams continue the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. and will conclude the series with a single game Sunday beginning at 12 p.m.
Saso, who improved to 2-1 on the season, tossed a season-high 6.1 innings and allowed eight hits and three runs, all of which were earned, while striking out five and walking none in his 100-pitch outing. Sophomore
Jake Olguin-Pacheco (Denver, Colo./Horizon) tossed the final 2.2 innings to earn his first save of the season. Olguin-Pacheco allowed three hits and one run, while striking out one and walking none.
Kelly's big day at the plate helped the Pack offense collect 11 hits, including hitting a lead-off homer in the third inning to help the Pack retie the game at 2-all.
In addition to Kelly, junior rightfielder
Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) went 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored, while sophomore designated hitter
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) also had two hits and scored two runs.
The Pack got on the scoreboard first in Friday's series opener as Sanchez scored as he stole home on a play that resulted in a two-base throwing error by CCU first baseman Sawyer Shepherd. Sanchez reached on a one-out single, moved to second when junior third baseman
Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) was hit by pitch. Sanchez would eventually steal third and then stole home on a pickoff attempt at first that resulted in Shepherd's error.
CCU, though, used three hits and scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. Both runs came home on a 2-run single by Ross Panlasigui off Saso.
The Pack tied the game in the bottom of the third on Kelly's lead-off homer that cleared the wall in left center. The homer was third of the season for Kelly and 53rd overall on the season for the Pack.
CSU Pueblo retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth as they scored three runs on four hits to take a 5-2 lead. The big hits in the inning were an RBI single to right center by Kelly and an RBI triple to left center from Sanchez. The other run came home on a sacrifice bunt by junior shortstop
Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College).
The Cougars would add two more runs on three hits in the top the seventh to pull within 5-4. Both runs came home on a 2-run fielder's choice off the bat of Luke Thompson.
CSU Pueblo would add some runs in the bottom of the eighth as they sent 12 hitters to the plate and scored seven runs on a four hits to take a 12-4 lead. The first five hitters in the line-up reached base as after senior leftfielder
Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) opened the frame with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and after junior first baseman
Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada) walked, Borjas drilled the first pitch to left field for a double that scored Castaneda. The next hitter, junior second baseman
Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) hit a 2-run double to push the Pack lead to 9-4. The next Pack run scored on a wild pitch Anthony Thomas and then Thomas allowed another run to score after he hit Howard with a pitch with the bases loaded. Stone would cap the scoring on his RBI single through the right side.
Olguin-Pacheco would retire the Cougars in order in the top of the ninth to seal his first save of the season.
CCU recorded 11 hits in the game as Kade Carney, Caden Walton, Gavin Acosta and Panlasigui each had two hits in the loss.
Saxton Sorenson (1-6), who was the second pitcher of game for the Pack, tossed six-plus innings and allowed eight hits and seven runs, while walking one and fanning six. Chaz Graham started on the hill for the Cougars and pitched just the first inning.
The two teams combined to leave 14 runners on base as CCU left eight and the Pack stranded six. CCU also committed two errors and the Pack turned a double play.
In addition, CCU's pitchers hit six Pack batters and the Pack pitchers hit two batters.
Sanchez stole three bases in the game and the Kelly also had a stolen base in the win.
