POMONA, Calif. - Colorado State University Pueblo baseball opened its Sunday morning slate with a hard-fought 2–1 loss to Cal Poly Pomona at Scolinos Field, as the ThunderWolves were edged in a tightly played, low-scoring contest that came down to a single swing.
The game quickly settled into a pitchers' duel, with both sides held scoreless through the first three innings. CSU Pueblo threatened early, putting runners on base in the opening frames, but Cal Poly Pomona starter Andrew Campbell worked efficiently to escape trouble and keep the Pack off the scoreboard.
The Broncos broke through in the bottom of the fourth inning. A leadoff double and a pair of walks created a bases-loaded situation, and Cal Poly Pomona capitalized with a sacrifice bunt followed by a run-scoring groundout to plate two runs. Jack Novak was able to limit the damage, preventing the inning from turning into a bigger rally and keeping the ThunderWolves within striking distance.
Novak battled through five innings for CSU Pueblo, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out two. He navigated multiple high-pressure situations, stranding runners in scoring position in the first, second, and fifth innings to give the Pack a chance to stay competitive throughout the morning.
The ThunderWolves responded in the top of the sixth inning when Taehyung Kim provided the breakthrough. Kim connected on a solo home run to left field, cutting the deficit to 2–1 and injecting energy into the CSU Pueblo dugout as momentum briefly shifted.
Following the home run, the Pack continued to apply pressure offensively. Tyler Clementz, Dax Howard, Cody Macias, and Jimmy Pelletier each recorded hits, and CSU Pueblo put runners on base in both the seventh and ninth innings. However, timely pitching and defensive execution by Cal Poly Pomona prevented the tying run from coming across.
Out of the bullpen, Luke Ruby delivered an excellent performance for the ThunderWolves. Ruby tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out three, giving CSU Pueblo every opportunity to mount a late comeback.
Despite the setback, the ThunderWolves showed resilience in a tightly contested road game, matching Cal Poly Pomona pitch for pitch and limiting mistakes defensively. CSU Pueblo will look to carry the strong pitching and competitive effort forward as the series continues later Sunday in Pomona.
