PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado State University Pueblo used a late-inning comeback in game one and dominant pitching in game two to sweep Colorado Christian in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Rawlings Field.
The ThunderWolves rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for a 9-7 victory in the opener, before securing a 3-1 win in the nightcap thanks to 6.1 strong innings on the mound from senior hurler
Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian).
With the doubleheader sweep, the Pack snaps a two-game losing skid and improves to 12-16 overall and 4-7 in the RMAC, while CCU fell to 6-24 overall and 2-13 in the league. The Pack will look to earn its first RMAC series win of the season in Sunday's series finale, scheduled to start at noon.
Game 1: CSU Pueblo 9, Colorado Christian 7
The ThunderWolves erased a three-run deficit with a five-run sixth inning, including tying the game on a 3-run homer over the wall in left from junior centerfielder
Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) to earn a 9-7 comeback victory in Saturday's first game.
CCU jumped out early, scoring two runs in both the first and second innings before adding three more runs thanks to four doubles to take a 7-4 lead.
The Pack answered early, tying the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a 2-run double down the left-field line by senior designated hitter
Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County). The Pack added two more in the third on an RBI double by Latino and an RBI single from senior catcher
Cody Macias (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) to tie the game at 4-all.
After the Cougars extended the lead to 7-4 in the fourth inning, thanks to three straight doubles and a sacrifice fly, the Pack mounted its decisive rally in the sixth.
In the sixth, Macias opened the inning with a double, and senior third baseman
Taehyung Kim (Marana, Ariz./St. Cloud State) reached on an error to put two runners on base. Kelly drilled a 1-1 pitch from Wyatt Saul over the left field wall for a 3-run homer to tie the game at 7-7. Later in the inning, sophomore first baseman
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) delivered an RBI single, and Latino followed with an RBI single to give the ThunderWolves a 9-7 advantage.
In the top of the seventh, junior
Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) retired the Cougars in order on three straight fly outs to seal the comeback win and earn his first save of the season.
Redshirt freshman
Jack Prenni (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) earned the win (1-0) in relief as he tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Redshirt senior
Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway) started the game and tossed 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and four runs, while walking three, hitting four, and striking out one.
Latino paced the ThunderWolves offensively, going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two doubles. Kelly finished 3-for-3 with a three-run home run and three RBI, while Clementz added two hits and an RBI. CSU Pueblo totaled 13 hits in the victory.
CCU tallied eight hits, including five doubles, with Mason Hagel-Pitt and Cade Lacy each collecting two hits. Lacy had 3 RBI, and Nathan Mensen added 2 RBI in the loss. Hagel-Pitt had two of those five doubles for CCU.
Wyatt Saul (0-2), who was the second of three pitchers for the Cougars, took the loss as he tossed 1.1 innings and allowed two hits and four runs (three earned).
The teams combined to leave 17 runners on base, and CCU stranded 10, and the Pack left seven runners on base.
Game 2: CSU Pueblo 3, Colorado Christian 1
CSU Pueblo leaned on strong pitching, timely hitting, and four double plays on defense to complete the sweep with a 3-1 victory in game two of the twin bill.
The four double plays turned by the Pack are tied for the second-most in a game in school history, and the most since turning four double plays in 2024 against Adams State. The school record for double plays turned is five against New Mexico Highlands on April 9, 2017.
CSU Pueblo broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. After a pitch hit Clementz, Latino launched a two-run home run to left field to give CSU Pueblo a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, junior
Jake Hixenbaugh (Atascadero, Calif./Monterey Peninsula), who reached on a pinch hit single, scored on a wild pitch following a single and stolen base from junior third baseman
Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco), extending the lead to 3-0.
CCU got on the board in the sixth inning with a solo home run from Brandon de Hondol, but CSU Pueblo's pitching staff closed the door.
Ruby (2-0) delivered a strong outing on the mound, allowing just one run on four hits over 6.1 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Novak recorded his second save of the day as he threw one pitch, which was a 6-4-3 game-ending double play, off the bat of Hagel-Pitt.
Latino again led CSU Pueblo offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBI and a home run, while Clementz added two hits in the win. The ThunderWolves collected 10 hits overall in the game.
CCU tallied four hits and turned two double plays in the nightcap.
Cody Hill (0-4) took the loss on the mound for CCU as he tossed 4.1 innings and allowed six hits and one run, while striking out three and walking one.
The Pack committed two errors and left eight runners on base in the victory.
