The Cougar baseball team headed south for the first of two doubleheaders against the Thunderwolves of CSU-Pueblo. The series was shortened from four games over three days to all four games on Saturday and Sunday due to severe weather in Pueblo on Friday.
 
Game 1:
 
Pueblo jumped out to a comfortable lead early, scoring three runs in the bottom of the 1^st inning. The Thunderwolves sent eight batters to the plate in the inning, notching three hits while taking advantage of a walk and an error.
 
The Cougars would retaliate quickly though, getting on the board with one run in the top of the 2^nd inning when JC Barrios singled to center field and brought home starting pitcher and designated hitter Scotty Wright from third.
 
CCU would tack on another run in the top of the 3^rd inning after Cooper Gray laid down a bunt single as he is apt to do, advanced to second from a Jerry Gallegos single, and scored when he stole third and an errant throw allowed him to take home.
 
CSU-Pueblo would increase their lead in the bottom frame of the inning, to bring their lead back up to two runs at 4-2. The Thunderwolves would add another in the bottom of the fifth off a solo homer to right center. The bottom of the 6^th was more of the same when Pueblo added two more runs to increase their lead to 7-2.
 
The Cougars would add just one more run to the scoreboard in the game courtesy of a Jerry Gallegos RBI single in the top of the 7^th inning that brought Gray in for his second run of the game. The Thunderwolves would add an insurance run in the bottom of the 7^th inning. Both teams collected 10 hits in the game, but the Thunderwolves were able to put them together for the 8-3 win.
 
Game 2:
 
The second game of the day was a seven-inning affair that saw the Cougars strike first in the top of the second when Austin Maltby doubled to drive in Austin Atkerson to take an early 1-0 lead. The Thunderwolves would tie the game up in the bottom of that same inning, take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, and add to it with one more in the bottom of the 4th.
 
The Cougars would take advantage of a throwing error in the top of the 5^th inning and bring the score to 4-2 but would not manage another run in the next two innings. CSU-Pueblo added one more run in the bottom of the 6^th for good measure and take that score to the end, sweeping the day with the 5-2 win.
 
Cooper Gray led the way for the Cougars on Saturday, collecting four hits and scoring two runs in the doubleheader. Jerry Gallegos and Austin Maltby each had three hits on the day. Scotty Wright and Joey Loranger were tagged for their second and third loses on the season, respectably, while the entire Cougar pitching staff combined for nearly as many walks (6) as strikeouts (7).
 
The pair of loses drop the Cougars to 14-18 (9-13 RMAC) on the season with just 15 games left, 14 against RMAC opponents. CCU currently sits in 7^th place in the RMAC, and with only the top six teams making the post-season tournament, the Cougars will be more focused than ever to work their way back into contention in the remaining few weeks.
 
The Cougars will take on the Thunderwolves in a Sunday doubleheader to complete their series. Game times are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.