LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo moved to 3-0 in its weekend Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference baseball series with Colorado Christian here Saturday morning as the ThunderWolves picked up a 16-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader at All-Star Park.

With the win, the Pack improved to 16-13 overall and 6-5 in the RMAC, while Colorado Christian fell to 6-26 overall and 3-12 in the league. The two teams will conclude the series with a seven-inning game that began 30 minutes after the conclusion of Saturday's first game.

The Pack finished the game with 16 hits and scored two unearned runs thanks to three Cougar errors. Senior left fielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) was one of five Pack players with two hits as he was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and 2 RBI. In addition to Borjas, freshman designated hitter Noah Williams (Carson, Calif./Redondo Union) and senior third baseman Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) each had two hits and combined for three runs and three RBI.

Senior second baseman Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada) also was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and senior second baseman Kolton Miller (Parker, Colo./Ponderosa) was 2-for-2 after replacing Stone in the eighth inning.

CCU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first game of the doubleheader as Lukas Hinze led off the inning with a double and scored when the next batter, Mason Hagel-Pitt delivered an RBI single to left off of junior hurler Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian), who started for the Pack.

The Pack came back in the top of the second inning as they used four hits and scored five runs to take a 5-1 lead. Borjas led off with a homer to tie the game and four batters later, Snodgrass hit a 3-run homer over the left field fence to give the Pack a 4-1 lead. Following Snodgrass' second home run of the season, Williams recorded his fifth triple of the season and scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior shortstop Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College) to bring home the fifth run of the inning.

In the top of the third inning, the Pack loaded the bases thanks to two walks and an infield single by Stone and then added its sixth run when sophomore center fielder Logan Kelly (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) reached on an error by CCU first baseman Major Maydon. CCU starting pitcher Saxton Sorensen prevented further damage as he struck out the next three hitters to leave the bases loaded.

The Pack pushed its lead 8-1 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a single by Mansour and back-to-back RBI doubles by Borjas and Stone.

CSU Pueblo used two hits and a wild pitch in the top of the fifth inning to plate two runs and take a 10-1 lead. Senior left fielder Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) got the scoring started on an RBI single through the right side, while the second run scored on a wild pitch by Dillon Dahlgren.

CCU used a hit and a Pack error in the bottom of the fifth to plate an unearned run and cut the Pack's lead to 10-2.

Ruby, who was replaced in the sixth by freshman Danny Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Centennial), pitched five innings and allowed three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out five and walking one in improving to 1-2 on the season. Over the final four innings, the Pack bullpen allowed five hits and one run, while walking two and striking out five.

The Pack would use two CCU errors in the sixth inning to plate an unearned run to push its lead to 11-2. In the inning, Borjas reached on an error by CCU shortstop Landry Hamm, stole second, and scored on another error by Hamm.

CCU would add a third run in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks to three hits, including a sacrifice fly off the bat of Taylor McLeod to pull within 11-3.

The Pack added another run in the top of the eighth thanks to a double by Miller and an RBI single by Kelly to take a 12-3 lead.

In the top of the ninth, the Pack used three hits and scored four runs to take a 16-3 lead. All four runs came home on a grand slam by fifth-year senior first baseman Edmund King (Imperial Beach, Calif./Southwestern), who replaced fifth-year senior Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) in the bottom of the seventh. Castaneda had his 30-game hit streak snapped as he was 0-for-3 on the day with a run scored and a walk. 

CCU finished the game with eight hits by eight different players.

Sorenson (1-4) took the loss for the Cougars on the mound as he pitched four-plus innings and allowed nine hits and eight runs (seven earned) while striking out six and walking four.

For the game, the Pack left nine runners on base and stole three bases, including two steals by Kelly. CCU stranded six runners on base and had one stolen base.