PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo put together a complete Saturday performance at Rawlings Field, using a dramatic comeback in game one followed by an offensive explosion in game two to sweep a doubleheader from New Mexico Highlands and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the RMAC series.
The ThunderWolves showed both grit and dominance across the two games, rallying late in the opener before overwhelming the Cowboys in the nightcap.
Game 1 – CSU Pueblo 7, New Mexico Highlands 6
Game one was a back-and-forth battle that required resilience from the Pack from the very start.
New Mexico Highlands struck early, plating two runs in the second inning and adding another in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Cowboys consistently applied pressure with timely hits, forcing CSU Pueblo to play from behind through the first half of the game.
That all changed in the fourth inning.
The ThunderWolves delivered the decisive blow with a six-run fourth inning, completely flipping the momentum. After putting runners on base, CSU Pueblo capitalized with a string of clutch hits. Jeremiah Sanchez led the charge, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI, including key hits during the rally. Cody Macias added a two-RBI knock, while Jimmy Pelletier also drove in a run as the Pack surged ahead 6-3.
New Mexico Highlands answered right back, scoring two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to even the game at 6-6, setting up a tense finish.
CSU Pueblo responded in the bottom of the sixth, manufacturing what would become the game-winning run to reclaim a 7-6 lead, with a Jeremiah Sanchez RBI single. From there, the Pack bullpen took over. Jack Novak shut the door over the final 1.2 innings, holding the Cowboys scoreless to secure the comeback victory.
Game 2 – CSU Pueblo 14, New Mexico Highlands 3
The nightcap was all ThunderWolves.
New Mexico Highlands once again struck first with a run in the opening inning, but CSU Pueblo immediately responded with two runs in the bottom half—taking advantage of a defensive error and a wild pitch to grab a 2-1 lead.
From there, the Pack took complete control.
In the second inning, CSU Pueblo broke the game open. A combination of patience at the plate and Highlands miscues fueled a five-run inning, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Jake Hixenbaugh and RBI contributions from Dax Howard and JJ Fontana. The ThunderWolves capitalized on walks, hit batters, and errors to extend the lead to 7-1.
The offense didn't slow down in the third.
Jeremiah Sanchez sparked the inning with a ground-rule double, and Hixenbaugh followed with an RBI triple. Jason Arriola and Taehyung Kim each added RBI doubles, while Howard delivered a two-run single as CSU Pueblo piled on another five runs to stretch the lead to 12-2.
New Mexico Highlands managed a solo home run in the fourth, but the Pack quickly answered with an RBI single from Cooper Latino to make it 13-3.
Jimmy Pelletier provided the final exclamation point in the fifth, launching a solo home run to left field—his fifth of the season—to cap the scoring at 14-3.
On the mound, CSU Pueblo used a strong staff effort to close things out. Jackson Adam earned the win in relief, while Dominic Corgiat, Cody Smith, and Jack Prenni combined to limit the Cowboys to just one run over the final four innings.
CSU Pueblo combined for 21 runs on 22 hits across the doubleheader, showcasing depth throughout the lineup and the ability to win in multiple ways.
From a six-run comeback inning in game one to back-to-back five-run frames in game two, the ThunderWolves controlled the day and put themselves firmly in position for a series sweep.
With the wins, CSU Pueblo improves to 17-19 overall and 9-10 in RMAC play as they head into Sunday's noon series finale at Rawlings Field.
