PUEBLO, Colo. - In a back-and-forth battle that featured 26 combined hits, 15 combined runs, and multiple momentum swings, the Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team rallied from an early five-run deficit but ultimately came up just short in an 8-7 loss here Saturday afternoon to Northwest Missouri State in the second game of a four-game weekend series at Rawlings Field.
Saturday's loss was the first this season for the ThunderWolves as they fell to 5-1 on the season, while Northwest Missouri State improved to 6-4. The two teams will continue the series with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday and will conclude the series with a noon game on Monday.
After a scoreless first two innings, Northwest Missouri State struck first in the third when Sam Dinkelman opened the frame with a double, before Frank Gall launched a two-run home run to deep right field off of CSU Pueblo sophomore hurler Frank Flores Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy). The Bearcats added an RBI single later in the inning to take a 3-0 lead in the game.
CSU Pueblo answered in the bottom half of the inning as junior catcher JJ Fontana (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) worked a lead-off walk and later came around to score on an RBI double from senior rightfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West). Sophomore first baseman Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) followed with an RBI single to left field to trim the deficit to 3-2.
The Bearcats quickly regained control in the fourth inning, using a two-run single from Gall and a two-run double by Jeremiah Cabuyaban to extend their lead to 7-2.
The ThunderWolves refused to go away, though, as senior designated hitter George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) drew a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth before sophomore leftfielder Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) followed with a free pass of his own. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, redshirt senior shortstop Kyle Miller (Pueblo, Colo./Colorado Mesa) lined a two-run single to center field to bring CSU Pueblo back within three runs at 7-4.
NW Missouri State was held in check over the next two innings, allowing the Pack to continue chipping away. In the sixth, Miller doubled to center and scored moments later on a Fontana RBI single through the right side to make it 7-5.
CSU Pueblo completed the comeback bid in the seventh inning. Sanchez sparked the rally with a single up the middle before junior centerfielder Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./San Juan Capistrano Valley) laid down a bunt single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Clementz advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Andrews, who delivered a clutch two-run single through the right side to tie the game at 7-7.
In the eighth inning, the Pack put two runners on base thanks to Miller getting hit by a pitch and a single by Sanchez, but Bearcat relief pitcher Diego De Santiago came out of the bullpen to replace Jase Johnson and struck out Kelly to end the inning with the score still tied.
The Bearcats would capitalize in the ninth as the two-out RBI single from Michael Good pushed across the go-ahead run to give the Bearcats an 8-7 advantage.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Pack mounted one final threat as Clementz doubled to right field and Andrews followed with a single to center, putting two runners on base; however, De Santiago was able to escape the jam as he got Howard to ground out and junior third baseman Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) to fly out to left to end the game.
Sanchez led the Pack offensively as he had a 4-for-5 day with two runs scored and is now hitting .680 on the season, while Clementz added three hits, including two doubles. Miller drove in two runs, scored once and had two hits, and Andrews finished with two hits and two RBI as the ThunderWolves outhit the Bearcats 15-11 on the afternoon.
Cabuyaban went 4-for-4 at the plate with 3 RBI to pace the Bearcats. In addition to Cabuyaban, Gall had two hits, scored two runs, and recorded 4 RBI from the lead-off spot in the win.
Junior Casey Clair (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Ellsworth CC), who was the fourth pitcher of the game for the Pack, took the loss (0-1) as he tossed 2.1 innings and allowed one hit and one run, while striking out two and walking one. For the game, the Pack pitchers recorded six walks, hit three batters, and had nine strikeouts, including six in 3.2 innings from Flores Jr.
The teams left a combined 19 runners on base as the Pack stranded eight, and NW Missouri State left 11 runners on base. The Pack also had three runners thrown out trying to steal.
De Santiago (1-1) earned the win as he tossed 1.1 innings and allowed two hits and no runs, while striking out one and walking none. De Santiago was the fifth of five pitchers used by the Bearcats in the game.
