ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Colorado State University Pueblo baseball team stepped out of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play here Tuesday evening by dropping an 11-3 decision to NCAA Division I New Mexico at Lobo Baseball Field.
With the setback, the Pack snapped its two-game win streak and fell to 21-21 overall, while New Mexico improved to 24-15 overall on the season. The Pack will return to RMAC play this weekend (April 24-26) with a four-game series in Alamosa, Colo., against Adams State. The series begins with a single game on Friday, April 24 at 2 p.m., before a doubleheader on Saturday, April 25 at noon and a single nine-inning game on Sunday, April 26 at noon.
UNM used a first-run first inning to seize control early against the ThunderWolves, collecting six hits in the opening frame to build a 5-0 advantage. The Lobos, who are members of the Mountain West Conference, added four more runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to extend their lead to 11-2.
The Pack got on the scoreboard in the top of the second inning when junior third baseman
Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) drilled the first pitch he saw from Ethin Woltz over the wall in right for his team-leading seventh home run of the season. Arriola's homer trimmed the deficit to 5-1.
In the top of the third inning, the Pack added another run as junior designated hitter
Jake Hixenbaugh (Atascadero, Calif./Monterey Peninsula) doubled to right field and later scored on an RBI single by sophomore first baseman
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) to pull the Pack within 5-2.
CSU Pueblo plated its final run in the seventh after freshman
Leonardo Peniche (Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia) was hit by a pitch as a pinch hitter and came home on an RBI single by junior shortstop
Yahir Ramirez (Fontana, Calif./Texas A&M-Corpus Christi).
Hixenbaugh, Sanchez, Clementz, Arriola, and Ramirez each recorded one hit for the ThunderWolves. Arriola finished with a home run and an RBI, while Clementz and Ramirez also drove in runs in Tuesday's contest. The Pack had five hits in the game.
On the mound, senior
Alex Oliver (Grove, Okla./Coffeyville CC) turned in a solid relief outing, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Sophomore
Dax Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) and redshirt freshman
Jack Prenni (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) each added scoreless innings of relief.
Senior
Cole Bloomer (Arapahoe, Colo./Lamar CC) started on the mound for the Pack and failed to record an out as he allowed four hits and four runs in falling to 6-2 on the season.
The Lobos finished with 15 hits, including two hits each from Anthony Diaz, Karsen Waslefsky, Lenny Junior Ashby, and Brodey Williams. Diaz scored three runs, and Luke Mansy had 3 RBI in the win.
Woltz (1-2) earned the win as he tossed three innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while striking out three and walking none.
The Pack left five runners on base and turned two double plays to push their season total to 48, which is tops in Division II baseball. UNM left eight runners on base, committed two errors, and turned a double play.
