PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning and nine unanswered overall to rally past MSU Billings, 9–6, here Thursday afternoon in the second game of a three-game non-conference series at Rawlings Field against the Yellowjackets.
With the win, the ThunderWolves improve to 2-0 on the season, while MSU Billings falls to 3-3 overall. The teams will conclude the series at 12 p.m. Friday at Rawlings Field.
After trailing 4–2 entering the bottom of the eighth, the ThunderWolves sent 11 hitters to the plate and piled up seven hits in the decisive frame to seize control. Senior designated hitter
George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) capped the outburst with a three-run home run to right field, his second of the season, turning a one-run deficit into a commanding lead.
The Pack finished the game with 14, including seven of those hits coming in the decisive eighth inning. Junior catcher
JJ Fontana (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) led the way offensively with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with two RBI, while Andrews added two hits and three RBI and senior rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) and sophomore leftfielder
Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) each had two hits.
In fact, the Pack's 6-9 hitters in the order went a combined 8-for-17 with four runs and 3 RBI.
Redshirt senior shortstop
Kyle Miller (Pueblo, Colo./Colorado Mesa) recorded his first hit with a Pack which was a one-out triple to things going in the inning. Following Miller's triple, Fontana brought him home on a bunt single and Sanchez followed with an RBI double to brin the Pack within 6-4 and freshman
Seth Coria (Corona, Calif./Santiago) delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to bring the Pack within 6-5 and junior second baseman
Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) followed with an RBI double to right to tie the game and after sophomore first baseman
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) was hit by a pitch, Andrews delivered an 0-1 pitch from Hayden Mullins over the wall in left to give the Pack a 9-6 lead.
On the mound, sophomore Frank Flores, Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) delivered a strong start, allowing just one run on four hits over six innings. Senior
Cole Bloomer (Parker, Colo./Lamar CC) earned the win after pitching two innings in relief, and junior
Jackson Adam (Windsor, Colo./Missouri Western) retired the final two batters in the ninth to pick up the save in his Pack debut.
MSU Billings struck first with a leadoff home run in the opening inning by Cade Queen and added three runs on three hits in the seventh to take a brief lead. However, CSU Pueblo's offense responded immediately, flipping the momentum with its explosive eighth inning.
Mullins (1-1), who was the third pitcher of the game for MSU Billings, took the loss as he allowed seven hits and seven runs, while striking out one in the eight inning. Sam Coxen started for the Yellowjackets and pitched six strong innings as he allowed five hits and two runs, while walking two and fanning seven Pack hitters.
MSUB made things interesting in the ninth as they used two hits, a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly to plate two run, but Adam struck out Jack Nehler to end the game.
The Yellowjackets, who finished with nine hits in the game, two hits each from Queen, River Smith and Kyle Henington. Queen finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored and 3 RBI.
