PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball came up just short here in Monday's series finale against Northwest Missouri State as the ThunderWolves left the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth in their 6-5 loss to the Bearcats in non-conference action at Rawlings Field.
With the loss, which was the Pack's third straight, the ThunderWolves fall to 5-3 on the season, while Northwest Missouri State improved to 8-4 on the season.
The Pack struck first in Monday's series finale with a three-run second inning to take control early. After a leadoff double from senior first baseman
George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) to put the Pack in business, sophomore leftfielder
Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) worked a walk and junior third baseman
Jimmy Pelletier (Laval, Quebec/University of San Francisco) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior catcher
JJ Fontana (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) followed with an RBI after drawing a bases loaded walk, before redshirt senior shortstop
Kyle Miller (Pueblo, Colo./Colorado Mesa) lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate the second run and senior rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) capped the inning with an RBI infield single to give the Pack a 3-0 advantage.
Northwest Missouri State answered in the fifth with a solo home run from Jeremiah Cabuyaban before breaking through in the sixth with five runs in the frame, highlighted by Cabuyaban's second homer of the afternoon – a three run shot to left-center that gave the Bearcats a 6-3 lead.
The Pack, who outscored the Bearcats 29-24 in the four game series, battled back in the seventh inning after junior centerfielder
Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./ Capistrano Valley Christian) was hit by a pitch and sophomore designated hitter
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) singled up the middle to spark the rally, Pelletier delivered a 2-run single to shallow left to cut the Bearcats lead to 6-5.
In the ninth, Howard hit a deep fly ball to center, but the ball was caught by Frank Gall for the second out and after senior catcher
Cody Macias (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) drew a two-out walk as pinch hitter and Fontana followed with a single up the middle to put the tying run at second base, NWMSU's Ben Haug, who was the fifth pitcher of the game for the Bearcats, forced Miller fly out to center to end the game and seal the Bearcats' third straight win in the series.
The Pack had opportunities throughout the game as they drew nine walks and stranded 12 runners on base. The Bearcats left 11 runners on base and they turned two double plays in the game.
Sanchez and Fontana each recorded two hits to pace the ThunderWolves' seven-hit effort at the plate, while Pelletier finished with a team-high 2 RBI in the loss. Howard drew three of the Pack's nine walks in the game.
Junior
Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) got the start for the Pack on the mound and suffered the loss (0-1) as he allowed five earned runs and eight hits over 5.2 innings of work and tallied four strikeouts and three walks. Senior
Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian) tossed the final 3.1 innings and allowed one hit and one run, while striking out four and walking none.
Leonardo May (2-1) earned the win in relief, while Haug recorded the final six outs to secure his first save of the season.
Cabuyaban went 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and 4 RBI as the Bearcats recorded nine hits in the game.
The Pack will now hit for the road for the next two weeks as they begin the road trip with a four game series this weekend (Feb. 20-22) in Pomona, Calif., against Cal Poly-Pomona. The teams will open the series with a 6 p.m. MT game on Friday, Feb. 20, before playing a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday, Feb. 21 and capping the series with a single game on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. MT.
