DENVER, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo erupted for 10 runs in the fourth inning and rolled to a 14-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over 26th-ranked MSU Denver here Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at the Assembly Athletic Complex.
With the win, the ThunderWolves improve to 20-20 overall and 12-11 in the RMAC, while MSU Denver fell to 32-9 overall and 20-3 in the RMAC. The two teams concluded the series with a seven-inning game on Sunday afternoon.
The Pack wasted little time getting on the board as junior leftfielder
Jake Hixenbaugh (Atascadero, Calif./Monterey Peninsula) scored on a stolen base by senior rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) in the top of the first inning. Hixenbaugh led off the game with a single and moved to third when Sanchez reached on an error on a bunt play.
MSU Denver tied the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI groundout, but the Pack regained the lead in the third when junior designated hitter
Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County) delivered an RBI single to plate Hixenbaugh for a 2-1 advantage.
The ThunderWolves then broke the game open in the fourth, sending 14 batters to the plate and collecting eight hits in the frame. Senior catcher
Cody Macias (San Diego, Calif./Grantie Hills) and senior second baseman
Devean Alvarez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Chaffey College) each recorded RBI singles before Hixenbaugh added an RBI double. Sanchez followed with a two-run double, sophomore first baseman
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) tripled home a run, Latino added an RBI double, and junior shortstop
Jimmy Pelletier (Laval, Quebec/University of San Francisco) capped the inning with a three-run homer to left field, stretching the lead to 12-1. The homer was Pelletier's team-leading sixth of the season.
Pelletier finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI, while Hixenbaugh went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Latino was 2-for-4 with two RBI, Sanchez drove in two runs, and Macias added two RBI in the win. Clementz also chipped in a pair of hits and an RBI.
The Roadrunners added single runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Brayden Oram and in the fifth on an RBI single by Royce Vandine.
Sophomore centerfielder
Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) added an RBI double in the sixth inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Macias as CSU Pueblo extended the margin to 14-3.
On the mound, sophomore
Frank Flores Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings with three strikeouts to improve to 3-3 on the season.
Clayden Brandon closed the door with four scoreless innings of relief, surrendering just three hits while earning his first save of the year.
The Pack finished with 13 hits and did not commit an error, while MSU Denver was charged with three miscues and tallied nine hits.
Marques Abulhosn and Alek Martinez each had two hits to pace the Roadrunners.
Drew Peters (2-1) took the loss on the mound for the Roadrunners as he tossed three innings and allowed four hits and six runs (two earned), while walking two and striking out four.
MSU Denver left nine runners on base, while the Pack stranded four in the win.
