ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball stepped out of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action here Tuesday evening as the ThunderWolves fell 3-1 to NCAA Division I University of New Mexico in its non-conference finale at Santa Ana Star Field.
With the setback, the Pack drops its record to 23-18 overall, while New Mexico improved to 18-17 on the season. Tuesday's game was the final non-conference game of the regular season for the Pack as they finished with an 11-6 record in non-league games.
Tuesday's game starts a busy week for the Pack as they return to RMAC play coming weekend with a four-game series against Adams State. The series begins with the Pack's annual "Pack the Park" game on Friday, April 19 starting at 7 p.m. at historic Runyon Field, before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, April 20 at 2 p.m. and a single game on Sunday, April 21 at 12 p.m. The final three games of the series will be played on-campus at Rawlings Field.
The Pack offense was limited to just three hits against six Lobo pitchers, while UNM recorded eight hits against four Pack pitchers.
CSU Pueblo's three hits were recorded by sophomore rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West), junior designated hitter
Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) and junior shortstop
Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College).
Senior
Nick Perry (Denton, Texas/Richland JC) earned the midweek start against the Lobos and went three innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out four. Perry (1-4) was tagged for the loss in the game.
The Lobos opened the scoring in the bottom of the first thanks to two singles, a wild pitch and a double play grounder that allowed Konner Kinkade to score from third base. Kinkade opened the frame with a single to center, moved to second on Perry wild pitch and reached third on a single by Will Asby. Following the double play, which was one of two on the night for the Pack, Reed Spenrath reached on double to left center, before Perry closed out the inning by striking out Gene Trujillo.
UNM added its second run in the bottom of the third inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kyle Smith.
In the top of the sixth, the Pack was able to put a run on the scoreboard as Sanchez led off the inning with a bunt single and advanced to third on an error on the play by UNM reliever Arthur Steinkamp, who was the third pitcher of the game for the Lobos. Borjas would then bring Sanchez home on his RBI groundout.
The Lobos added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI groundout off Pack junior reliever
Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway), who was the third Pack pitcher of the game.
In the eighth, junior
Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) drew a two-out walk as a pinch hitter. Snodgrass, though, would be left on base after Jaren Jackson struck out Borjas to end the inning.
Wil Banister would retire three of the four Pack hitter he faced the ninth to record his second save of the season. The only blemish in the inning was a two-out walk issued to freshman catcher
Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco).
Asby paced the Lobos offense with two hits, while Kinkade scored two runs and Smith finished with 2 RBI in the victory. Three of the Pack's eight hits were doubles.
Josh Barnhouse (2-2) picked up the win for the Lobos as he tossed four shutout innings and allowed two hits, while striking out three and walking none. The Lobos bullpen would toss the final five innings and allow just one hit and one run, while walking three and striking out four.
UNM left seven runners on base, while the Pack stranded six runners and the Lobos committed an error.
