PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo baseball erupted for 13 runs of the first three innings and never looked back, rolling to a 13-6 win over MSU Billings here Friday afternoon to complete the three-game series sweep of the Yellowjackets at Rawlings Field.
With the win, the ThunderWolves open the season 3-0 for the third consecutive season, while MSU Billings fell to 3-4 on the season.
In the three game series, the Pack scored 33 runs and recorded 39 hits, 11 extra-base hits and its three starting pitchers allowed a total of two runs, 10 hits in 16 innings of work and posted a 1.13 ERA. Additionally, the Pack pitchers recorded 17 strikeouts and 11 walks in the three game series.
The Pack sent 12 men to the plate in the second inning and recorded seven runs on five hits and two errors and then sent seven hitters to the plate in the third and scored four runs on three hits to lead 13-0 after three innings. In, fact 13 of the Pack's 14 hits in the game came over the first three frames to take control of the game.
CSU Pueblo struck first in the bottom of the first as senior first baseman
George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) drove in the game's first run on an RBI single, before senior second baseman
Taehyung Kim (Marana, Ariz./St. Cloud State) hit a two-run double down the left field line to make 3-0.
The second inning proved decisive. CSU Pueblo plated seven runs, highlighted by an RBI single from junior centerfielder
Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./San Juan Capistrano), a two-run single from redshirt senior shortstop
Kyle Miller (Pueblo, Colo./Colorado Mesa), a two-run double by senior designated hitter
Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County), and a bases-loaded walk by Kim. CSU Pueblo added three more runs in the third inning, again fueled by Miller, who delivered a two-run single to cap a four-RBI day.
Miller finished 2-for-5 with four RBI, while Kim added four RBI of his own. Kelly went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Latino chipped in two RBI. Andrews and sophomore leftfielder
Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) each scored twice as CSU Pueblo went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
All nine starters in the Pack's line-up collected at least one hit in the game.
On the mound, sophomore
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha), who was named the co-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year last season, earned the win after allowing just one run on four hits over five innings, striking out four and walking two. The CSU Pueblo bullpen combined to limit MSU Billings to five runs and seven hits over the final four frames.
MSU Billings (3-4) would score single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh, before using three hits, a Pack error, a hit batsman and a wild pitch to plate three runs to cut the Pack lead to 13-6 in the eighth inning. The big hit in the inning was a 2-run single by Kyle Henington.
Henington led the Yellowjackets offensively as he was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and 2 RBI from the lead-off spot. Ryker Fortier added three hits and Kaden Bertram tallied two hits in the loss. As the team, MSUB finished with 11 hits and left nine runners on base. The Yellowjackets also committed three errors in the game.
Brennan Chappell (1-1) took the loss for MSUB as he pitched 1.2 innings and allowed nine hits and 10 runs, while walking one and striking out one. Owen Combs (one inning) and Carson Waples (5.1 innings) allowed just five hits and three runs over the final 6.1 innings of the game.
The Pack will look to open the season 4-0 this coming Tuesday, Feb. 10 as they host RMAC foe Regis University for a nine-inning non-conference game beginning at 1 p.m. in Rawlings Field. That game is the fourth of an eight-game home stand for the Pack to open the 2026 season.
