PUEBLO, Colo. - Colorado State University Pueblo baseball kept its early-season momentum rolling on Friday afternoon, powering past Northwest Missouri State with a 10–1 victory in the opener of a four-game series at Rawlings Field. The win extended the Pack's hot start to the year and showcased a complete performance on both sides of the ball.
CSU Pueblo wasted no time setting the tone, erupting for three runs in the bottom of the first inning. After Jeremiah Sanchez reached to start the frame, timely execution and aggressive situational hitting fueled the early surge. Dax Howard delivered the big blow with a two-run single to right field, and Jason Arriola capped the inning with a sacrifice bunt RBI to give the Pack a quick 3–0 advantage.
The Pack continued to apply pressure offensively throughout the middle innings. In the third, Tyler Clementz sparked the rally with a double before Arriola ripped a two-run double down the right-field line to stretch the lead to five. An inning later, Sanchez tripled to right and Clementz followed with an RBI single before George Andrews launched a two-run home run to deep left, pushing the margin to 8–0 and putting the game firmly in CSU Pueblo's control.
CSU Pueblo added two more runs in the fifth inning behind a string of hits and productive outs, finishing the afternoon with 14 hits and a 6-for-14 showing with runners in scoring position. Sanchez was a catalyst all day, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Clementz drove in a run and scored three times. Andrews chipped in three runs and continued his strong start to the season with his third home run of the year, and Arriola knocked in three RBIs to pace the middle of the order.
On the mound, Jacob Petersheim delivered another steady outing to anchor the Pack. The right-hander worked six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out four to improve to 2–0 on the season. After Northwest Missouri State scratched across a run in the seventh, the CSU Pueblo bullpen closed the door, with Keller Ausburn and Coleman McBride combining to allow no further damage and preserving the 10–1 final.
With the win, CSU Pueblo moved to 5–0 on the young season and continued to look the part of a confident, well-rounded club. The Pack will look to keep the momentum rolling as the series against Northwest Missouri State continues this weekend at Rawlings Field.
