PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball battled back from an early deficit and erased a late two-run gap, but the ThunderWolves came up just short as UCCS scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to claim a 7-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory in the series opener Thursday afternoon at Rawlings Field.
With the setback, the ThunderWolves fall to 24-23 overall and 16-13 in the RMAC, while UCCS improved to 31-15-1 overall and 20-8-1 in the league. The loss also solidified the Pack as the No. 4 seed in next week's RMAC Tournament as they will open the tournament on Wednesday, May 6 at 11 a.m. against the No. 3 seeded team.
After falling behind 4-0 in the second inning, CSU Pueblo responded immediately, plating two runs in the bottom half of the second on an RBI triple from junior catcher
Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) and a run-scoring ground out by junior centerfielder
Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) to pull within 4-2.
The Pack continued the momentum in the third, tying the game at 4-4 behind a two-RBI single from junior third baseman
Jimmy Pelletier (Laval, Quebec/University of San Francisco). Pelletier's single extended his hit streak to 17 consecutive games.
UCCS regained control with two runs in the fifth, capitalizing on a defensive miscue and adding an RBI single by Brendan Killeen to move back in front, 6-4. The ThunderWolves answered again in the seventh, as senior leftfielder
Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County) drove in a run with a double down the left field line before Arriola delivered an RBI single to even the score at 6-6.
The Mountain Lions broke the tie in the ninth, using a single and an error from Pelletier to set up the go-ahead RBI knock off of junior
Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge), who took the loss and fell to 1-6 on the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, Liam Whalen retired all three Pack hitters in order to collect his fourth save of the season.
Senior rightfielder
Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) paced the Pack offensively, going 2-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Arriola added a 2-for-3 performance with his third triple of the season and 2 RBI to give him his team-leading 13th multiple RBI game of the season. Pelletier also drove in a pair of runs for the Pack and sophomore first baseman
Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) extended his hit streak to 18 consecutive games with a single in the third inning. The Pack collected nine hits on the day.
Senior
Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian) allowed just two earned runs and had four strikeouts and three walks over five innings in the start, while senior
Alex Oliver (Grove, Okla./Coffeyville CC) tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks in relief to keep the Pack within striking distance.
UCCS, who tallied 13 hits in the win, was paced offensively by a 4-for-5 day with 2 RBI at the plate from Bryce Peterson, while Quinn Medin, Matthew Shipley and Killeen each had two hits in the game and Medin scored two runs and had 2 RBI.
James Harbison (2-1) earned the win in relief as he tossed a scoreless eighth inning in relief of Ryder Mancuso, who tossed seven innings and allowed nine hits and six runs, while walking three and fanning four in earning a no-decision.
CSU Pueblo finished the game with four double plays and left six runners on base, while UCCS left seven runners on base. The Pack also stole three bases in the game.
The Pack will continue the series on Friday, May 1 with a doubleheader beginning at noon and then will conclude the regular season with a Senior Day game on Saturday, May 2 beginning at noon.
