PUEBLO, Colo. (May 1, 2026) - Colorado State University Pueblo softball delivered a statement victory on Friday afternoon, earning a split against No. 3 Colorado Christian at Rawlings Softball Complex. The ThunderWolves secured a 9-5 win in game two, handing the Cougars their first RMAC loss of the season while also marking CSU Pueblo's first home victory over a ranked opponent and first win against a Top 25 team since Feb. 24, 2020 at No. 13 Dixie State.
Game One: Colorado Christian 4, CSU Pueblo 3
In a tightly contested opener, the No. 3 Cougars narrowly edged out a 4-3 win. After Colorado Christian took an early lead on a solo home run in the second,
Gissel Morales-Cermeno (Jr., Houston, Tex.) ignited the home crowd in the bottom half of the inning. Morales-Cermeno launched a towering two-run blast to left center, scoring
Madelyn Huerta (Sr., Azusa, Calif.) and giving the Pack a temporary 2-1 lead.
However, the Cougars regained the advantage in the third inning, capitalizing on a defensive error and timely RBI hits. While
Cali Cole (So., Merced, Calif.) brought the ThunderWolves back within one run with a solo homer in the seventh, CCU held on to take the first game of the series.
McKenna James (Sr., Windsor, Colo.) was tagged with the loss and drops to 18-9 on the year.
Game Two: Colorado Christian 5, CSU Pueblo 9
CSU Pueblo used a massive five-run first inning and stellar relief pitching from James to secure the victory.
After going down 2-0 in the first, the ThunderWolves' offense erupted in their first time at the plate and led off with back-to-back singles from
Darleen Falcon (Sr., Moreno Valley, Calif.) and
Caitlyn Cole (Sr., Merced, Calif.), Huerta and James both reached on fielder's choices to bring home the Pack's first run.
Morales-Cermeno added an RBI single, followed by a double from
Cali Cole that pushed the lead to 3-0. The outburst was capped by a two-run single from
Emma Case (Jr., Loveland, Colo.), giving CSU Pueblo a 5-0 cushion before the Cougars could record three outs.
CCU attempted to claw back, scoring three runs in the second inning. The Cougars eventually pulled within two runs in the fifth inning on back-to-back home runs.
However, the ThunderWolves responded in the sixth to put the game away.
Reese Reimler (Fr., Champlin, Minn.) and Huerta provided RBI singles during a three-hit inning that extended the lead to 9-5.
In the circle,
Jaylah Rivera (Fr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) earned the win, pitching 5.0 innings and weathering the CCU power surge. James then moved from the DP spot to the circle to provide 2.0 innings of hitless relief, slamming the door on the Cougars to earn her second save of the season.
Up Next
CSU Pueblo (37-15, 33-9 RMAC) and CCU will finish the series with another doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. at Rawlings Softball Complex.
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