GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball saw its season ended here Friday afternoon as the ThunderWolves suffered a hard-fought 4-1 setback to No. 3 seeded Colorado School of Mines in an elimination round game of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament at The Diamond on the campus of Colorado Mesa University.
 
With the setback, the Pack, who went 1-2 at the RMAC Tournament, close the 2024 season with a 29-24 overall record, while Mines improved to 29-20 and will now face No. 2 seeded Regis in another elimination game Friday night to determine which team will face No. 1 seeded and 19th-ranked Colorado Mesa in Saturday's championship round.
 
The 29 wins this season are the most for the Pack baseball program since posting a 29-23 record in the 2018 season.
 
Friday's game marked the final game for the Pack's six member senior class and those six seniors this season were pitcher Edwing Corrales (Delicias, Mexico/Otero JC), pitcher Tyler Curtis (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Idaho), third baseman Cole Knightley (Solvang, Calif./Santa Ynez), pitcher Zach Pratt (Belton, Mo./Metropolitan CC) and pitcher Dylan Weaver (Fruita, Colo./Highland CC).
 
In Friday's second straight elimination game in the RMAC Tournament, the Pack were outhit 15-6 and left nine runners on base and was just 4-for-21 with runners on base in the game, including going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
 
The Pack, who were held hitless through the first two innings, collected its first hit of the game on a lead-off double by junior first baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest). The Pack tailed 4-0 at the time of its first hit.
 
Senior leftfielder Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) paced the Pack offense in Friday's game with two hits in three at-bats and drew a walk.
 
Mines, who went 4-1 this season against the Pack, jumped in front 1-0 in the top of the second thanks to a double, a wild pitch and a fielder's choice off the bat of Tyler Pina. Pina's grounder to short, allowed Luke Folsom to score from third after his lead-off double from sophomore hurler Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection).
 
The Orediggers pushed its lead to 4-0 in the top of third inning thanks to a 2-run homer by Evan Bilter and a solo home run by Folsom. Both those homers came in back-to-back at-bats against Ruby (3-3), who tossed three innings and allowed six hits and four runs, while walking two and striking out three in his 56-pitch outing.
 
Howard's double to open the bottom of the third was the first hit of the game for the Pack and he was the second base runner of the game as Castaneda walked on a 3-2 pitch to open the bottom of the second inning.
 
Those four runs would be all the offense Mines would need as they turned the game over to its pitching as Ben Schoneman and Marcus Lee combined to hold the Pack offense to just one run on five hits over the final six innings of the game.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Pack put two runners on base thanks to a hit by pitch issued to junior shortstop Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College) and a single by Castaneda. But Schoneman got out of the jam by retiring the next two Pack batters to end the inning.
 
The Pack once again put two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth as junior catcher Brady Ingalls (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) walked and Knightley reached on a single, but once again, Schoneman retired the next two Pack hitters to end the inning and keep the Pack off the scoreboard.
 
Mines put two runners on base in the top of the sixth to chase junior hurler Travis Farrell (Las Vegas, Nev./Otero JC), who relieved Ruby to open the fourth. But Farrell's replacement out of the bullpen, junior Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway) would leave those runners on base as he forced Tyler Hummel to pop out on a bunt attempt and then strike out Jackson Woolwine to end the inning.
 
The Pack would finally dent the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth as junior rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) reached on an error to open the frame, moved to second on ground out by Castaneda and scored an unearned run on an RBI single by junior second baseman Joseph Quintana (Golden, Colo./Erskine) to cut Mines' lead to 4-1. After junior designated hitter Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) walked to put runners on first and second, Lee would get out of the jam by retiring the next two hitters to end the inning.
 
Petersheim got into a jam in the seventh as Mines loaded the bases thanks to three hits and walk, but the Pack did not allow a run thanks to a throw from right by Borjas to home plate to gun down a Mines' runner trying to score on a Folsom single to right and then later in the inning, the Pack defense recorded an out at second on a fielder's choice by Trent Nielsen to keep the score at 4-1.
 
The Pack put two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a walk issued to sophomore centerfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) and single by Mansour, but Lee got out of the jam by forcing Borjas to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
 
Mines put two runners on base in the eighth, but Petersheim would get out of the jam by forcing Mason Andrew to fly out and then strike out Bilter to end the inning.
 
Petesheim, who was the third Pack pitcher of the game, tossed 3.2 scoreless innings as he allowed five hits, while walking three and fanning two. Farrell tossed 2.1 scoreless innings of relief as he allowed four hits and struck out three.
 
Castaneda reached third base in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a leadoff single and back-to-back ground outs, before Lee left the Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection at third base after striking out Howard to end the inning.
 
Mines finished the game with 15 hits as Folsom went 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored, while Canon Humphreys added three hits. Andrews and I-Ly Hsue each had two hits for the Orediggers.
 
Schoneman (3-2) picked up the win for Mines as he tossed five-plus innings and allowed three hits and one unearned run, while walking two and fanning three. Lee earned his third save of the season as he pitched four-plus innings and allowed three hits and no runs, while walking two and fanning three.
 
Both teams committed an error in the game, while each team also turned a double play.
 
The Pack left nine runners on base, while Mines stranded 12 in Friday's game.