LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball opened its four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series with Colorado Christian here Friday afternoon by posting a 9-6 victory over the Cougars at All-Star Park.

With the win, the Pack moved to 14-13 overall and 4-5 in the RMAC, while CCU fell to 6-24 overall and 3-10 in the RMAC. The two teams played a second game scheduled for 7 innings following the conclusion of the first game.

In Friday's opener, the Pack's offense finished with 12 hits, including four doubles and stole two bases. Fifth-year senior first baseman Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC), junior catcher Cody Macias (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa), junior second baseman Devean Alvarez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Chaffey College) and senior shortstop Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College) each had two hits, while sophomore centerfielder Logan Kelly (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) had three RBI in the win.

Castaneda extended his hit streak to 29 consecutive games dating to last season with his two-out double in the first inning. Castaneda has now hit safely in all 27 games this season and is hitting .415 ion the year with a 1.251 OPS.

CCU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Major Maydon off of senior hurler Travis Farrell (Las Vegas, Nev./Otero JC).

The Pack tied the game at 1-all in the top of the second inning on an RBI single Mansour. Mansour's single scored Macias, who walked with one out in the inning.

The Cougars retook the lead in the bottom of the second as they used three hits and a Pack error to plate two runs to take a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Pack sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on four hits and two CCU errors. The big hit in the inning was a bases-loaded 3-run double by Kelly, while two of the other runs came home on base loaded hit by pitches issued to both senior leftfielder Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) and senior rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) and the first run of the inning came home on an error by CCU starting pitcher Jack Cazin.

CCU got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single to left center by Mason Hagel-Pitt and added another run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single to Nathan Owens to drop the Pack's lead to 7-5.

In the eighth inning, the Pack pushed its lead to 8-5 thanks to a lead-off double by freshman designated hitter Noah Williams (Carson, Calif./Redondo Union) and an RBI single by Castaneda. The RBI was Castaneda's team-leading 36th of the season.

The Cougars, though, used a lead-off homer by Connor Laeng in the bottom of the eighth inning off of redshirt freshman Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha), who relieved Farrell in the seventh inning, to drop the Pack's lead to 8-6.

Farrell, who improved to 6-1 on the season, tossed 6.2 innings and allowed nine hits and five runs (three earned) while striking out six and walking two. Farrell has now recorded 41 strikeouts on the season and has tallied five or more strikeouts in six of his eight starts on the year.

CSU Pueblo pushed its lead to 9-6 in the top of the ninth inning as Kelly opened the frame with a hit-by-pitch, moved to second on a bunt by Macias, and scored on an RBI double to right center by Alvarez.

Clementz would allow just a single in the ninth and retired the final two batters he faced to earn his first save of the season as he pitched the final 2.1 innings allowing three hits and one run while striking out three and walking none.

CCU also finished with 12 hits in the game as Hagel-Pitt went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and 2 RBI, while William Brassil, Gregory Rangel and Nathan Mensen each had two hits.

Cazin (1-3) took the loss for the Cougars on the mound as he tossed 3.2 innings and allowed seven hits and seven runs (four earned) while striking out one and walking two. Bennett Manley tossed 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and one run, while striking out two and walking none.

The Cougars committed three errors that led to three unearned runs for the Pack, while the Pack committed an error. CCU also hit five Pack hitters.

For the game, the Pack left 12 runners on base, while CCU stranded eight base runners.