PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado State University Pueblo used a balanced offensive attack and an early surge to secure a 14-8 baseball victory over Colorado Christian in Sunday's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series finale at Rawlings Field.

With the win, the ThunderWolves claimed their third straight victory, secured their first RMAC series win of the season, and improved to 13-16 overall and 5-7 in conference play. Colorado Christian fell to 6-25 overall and 2-14 in the RMAC. The victory also moved CSU Pueblo into fourth place in the league standings.

CSU Pueblo earned the win despite being shorthanded, playing without eight players — including four starters — who were suspended one game by the RMAC following a game misconduct incident during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

The suspensions stemmed from the bottom of the fifth inning in Saturday's second game, when Colorado Christian threw a pitch behind and then hit sophomore Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha). Several CSU Pueblo players left the dugout during the incident, resulting in the automatic suspensions under NCAA Baseball Rule 5-15 (Game Misconduct). Three Colorado Christian players were also suspended for Sunday's contest.

Despite the limited roster, CSU Pueblo responded with strong offensive production and timely hitting. The ThunderWolves jumped out early and maintained control throughout the contest, using contributions up and down the lineup to keep Colorado Christian at bay.

The Pack offense produced 14 runs on a balanced attack, while the pitching staff worked through multiple arms to secure the victory and close out the series.

CSU Pueblo collected 15 hits and scored in five different innings, highlighted by a five-run seventh inning that helped put the game out of reach.

The Pack jumped on the Cougars early in the first inning as junior centerfielder Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) and senior second baseman Devean Alvarez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Chaffey College) opened the frame with walks before senior third baseman Taehyung Kim (Marana, Ariz./St. Cloud State) advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and junior first baseman Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) followed with a two-run single to right center, giving the ThunderWolves an early 2-0 lead.

The ThunderWolves extended the lead in the third inning with a four-run outburst. Kim tripled to open the inning and Arriola drove him in with an RBI single. Later in the frame, junior designated hitter JJ Cardinal (Pueblo, Colo./Southwestern College) delivered a sacrifice fly, and junior catcher JJ Fontana (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) added an RBI single and freshman leftfielder Josiah Giron (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) capped the inning with an RBI double to make it 6-0.

CCU got on the board in the fourth inning, but CSU Pueblo answered again in the fifth when Alvarez singled home Fontana to push the lead to 7-1.

The ThunderWolves continued to add on in the sixth inning as Arriola doubled and junior shortstop Jimmy Pelletier (Lavel, Quebec/University of San Francisco) followed with an RBI double. Senior George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Coffeyville CC) then drove in another run with a pinch-hit double, extending the lead to 9-2.

CSU Pueblo broke the game open in the seventh inning. Alvarez and Kim opened with back-to-back singles before Arriola walked to load the bases. A wild pitch plated a run before Pelletier delivered a two-run ground-rule double to right center. Freshman rightfielder Leonardo Peniche (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia) later added an RBI single and Kelly followed with an RBI single to complete the five-run inning and extend the lead to 14-3.

CCU rallied late, scoring four runs in the eighth and another in the ninth, but the Pack bullpen closed the door to secure the win.

Arriola led the ThunderWolves offensively, finishing 3-for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored, and three walks. Pelletier added two hits and three RBI, while Alvarez scored twice and drove in a run and Fontana also recorded two hits and scored two runs.

On the mound, Clementz earned the win after pitching six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out four to improve to 4-1 on the season. The bullpen (six pitchers) combined to finish the final three innings, including freshman Cody Smith (Menifee, Calif./Liberty) retiring the final hitter of the game on a fly ball to left.

CCU finished the game with 13 hits, including a 3-for-5 day at the plate from Nathan Owens that included a home run. In addition to Owens, Aidan Welsh and Taylor McLead each had two hits and Welsh added 2 RBI in the loss.

Josh Lincoln (0-3) tossed three innings and allowed five hits and six runs (three earned), while walking three and fanning one for the Cougars.

Both teams committed two errors, and each turned a double play in the game. In addition, the two teams combined to leave 25 runners on base as the Pack left 12 and CCU stranded 13 base runners in a game that took over three hours to play.

The Pack will return to action next weekend (April 2-4) as they travel to Golden, Colo., for a four-game RMAC series at Colorado School of Mines. The teams will open the series with a nine-inning game on Thursday, April 2, at 2 p.m., before playing a doubleheader on Friday, April 3, at noon and concluding the series with a nine-inning game on Saturday, April 4, at noon.