LAKEWOOD, CO- The Cougars began their home series against CSU Pueblo on Friday with a doubleheader at All Star Park. CCU came out on the wrong end of two highly competitive games as they fell 9-6 and 7-5.
GAME ONE
The home team started the scoring early in game one as
Major Maydon lifted a first inning sacrifice fly to score
Mason Hagel-Pitt and make it 1-0. The Thunderwolves tied things in the second, but CCU came back with two runs in their half of the second off an error and RBI single from Hagel-Pitt to make it 3-1.
The Pack used a big fourth inning to take control of the game as an untimely error and bases clearing double made it 7-3 in favor of the visitors. Hagel-Pitt continued his strong day with another RBI knock, and Nathan Owen singled in a run in the seventh to cut the deficit to 7-5. CSU Pueblo kept CCU at bay with an eighth inning RBI single, but
Connor Laeng came back with a solo homer to once again bring the gap to just two. The Thunderwolves scored a single run in the ninth and closed out the game by a final score of 9-6.
Jack Cazin started the first 3.2 innings on the mound, and
Bennett Manley followed with a stellar 4.1 innings of work, scattering four hits with two strikeouts and just a single run allowed. Hagel-Pitt paced the offense with a pair of RBI.
GAME TWO
After two scoreless innings to start, CSU Pueblo broke through for three runs in the third.
Landry Hamm answered with a towering homer to right field to put his team on the board. A two-run double from Laeng in the fourth tied things up as the transfer got a hold of a ball and deposited it over the right field fence.
A pair of runs in the fifth for the Pack put them back ahead 5-3, and they plated two more in the seventh to stretch their lead to 7-3. Hagel-Pitt slammed a two-run home run to right field in the final inning, but the Cougars could not complete the comeback in an eventual 7-5 setback.
Chad Naf pitched a complete game, striking out four with a pair of walks and five earned runs allowed. Hagel-Pitt and Laeng led their team with a pair of RBI apiece.
With weather expected to hit the Denver area Saturday evening, the March 29 doubleheader has been moved up to 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. MST.
