DENVER, Colo. - A 10-run second inning and a 16-9 lead after four innings wasn't enough for Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball here Wednesday afternoon as Regis rallied late to hand the ThunderWolves an 18-16 non-conference loss at Regis Baseball Field.

With the loss, the Pack fall to 7-6 overall on the season, while Regis improved to 9-8 on the season. Since opening the season with five straight wins, the Pack has gone just 2-6 in its last eight games.

The Pack jumped out early as junior catcher Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) opened the scoring with  solo home run in the top of the first inning, before the ThunderWolves erupted for nine runs in the second inning on six hits to take a commanding 10-0 lead. The big blow in the inning came off the bat of junior shortstop Jimmy Pelletier (Lavel, Quebec/University of San Francisco) who launched a grand slam to give the Pack a 7-0 lead in the inning. The Pack added three more runs later in the frame on an RBI single by senior second baseman Devean Alvarez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Chaffey College) and a 2 RBI double off the bat of senior rightfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West).

Regis, though, answered with eight runs in the bottom of the second inning that included two 2-run homers from Park Romney and Steven Kirtitdes to pull within 10-8 after two innings of play. The Rangers used a hit, two walks and a double play grounder to score a run and pull within 10-9 after three innings of play.

The Pack offense went to work in the fourth as Arriola delievered again with a bases-loaded triple, before junior leftfielder Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County) followed with an RBI triple to give the Pack a 15-9 lead and added a sixth run in the inning on a failed pickoff attempt that resulted in an error for Regis' catcher Mason Grube to take a 16-9 lead.

Regis slowly chipped away at the Pack's lead as they scored once in the fifth on an RBI single by Dylan Perry, before using a four-run eighth inning – highlighted by a three-run pinch-hit homer from Ethan Wood – to take their first lead of the game at 17-16. The Rangers, who are now 1-1 this season against the Pack, added an insurance run later in the eighth on an RBI single by Ayden Harrison to push in front 18-16.

Regis' bullpen was able to hold the Pack scoreless over the final five frames as the Pack had 16 runs on 12 hits in the first four innings, before being limited to just two hits and no runs over the final five innings.

Alvarez paced the Pack offensively as he was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and 2 RBI, while Pelletier was 3-for-5 with a run scored and 4 RBI and Arriola was 2-for-6 with a run scored and 4 RBI. Sanchez and sophomore designated hitter Gavin Hunt (Castle Pines, Colo./Azusa Pacific) each had two hits and combined for five runs and Sanchez added 3 RBI. The Pack totaled 14 hits, including seven extra base hits, in the loss.

On the mound, sophomore hurler Casey Clair (0-3), who was the sixth of seven Pack pitchers, took the loss as he tossed 1.1 innings and allowed one hit and three runs, while walking one and fanning three.

For the game, the Pack left 12 runners on base as along with the 14 hits, they also drew nine walks and struck out 15 times, including seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work from Gio Casas. Regis, who had 18 hits and two errors in the game, left four runners on base and drew six walks and struck out eight times.

The first four hitters in the Regis line-up finished the game going 9-for-18 with eight runs scored and 9 RBI, including a 3-for-3 effort at the plate with 4 RBI from Kirtitdes.  Nicholai Arnold had three hits and 2 RBI, while Romney was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and 2 RBI in the win.

Lance Mazur (1-0), who was the seventh of eight pitchers for Regis, earned the win as he struck out the only batter he faced and Nathan Ling earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The starting pitchers in the game – senior Jake Olguin-Pacheco (Denver, Colo./Horizon) for the Pack and Ian Calvillo for Regis – combined to pitch three innings and allow 13 hits, 15 runs, five walks and record four strikeouts, including three from Calvillo.

CSU Pueblo, who has played nine games in the last 12 days, will get some needed rest this weekend before returning to action next week (March 5-7) as the Pack travels to Nampa, Id., for a four-game series against Northwest Nazarene. The teams will open the series with a single game on March 5 at 1 p.m., before playing a doubleheader beginning at noon on March 6 and concluding the series with a single game on March 7 at noon.