Errors spoil 'Pack the Park' for ThunderWolves

Regis 16, CSU-Pueblo 12

By JEFF LETOFSKY, THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

The only thing colder than the frigid weather conditions Friday night on Hobbs Field at the Runyon Sports Complex was the defense of the Colorado State University-Pueblo baseball team.

The fourth annual Pack the Park night was a disaster for the ThunderWolves, who are fighting for their postseason playoff life.

Especially in the fifth inning.

That's when the ThunderWolves committed six errors that led to seven Regis University runs and watched a 6-0 lead disappear.

The decisive inning fueled the Rangers to a 16-12 victory in the opener of a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series. It also put a dagger into the postseason playoff hopes of the ThunderWolves, who entered the final regular-season series cradling a one-game lead over New Mexico Highlands in a battle for the sixth and final playoff spot. The top six teams in the final regular-season RMAC standings qualify for the six-team RMAC Tournament that starts May 7. The Cowboys swept a doubleheader from Colorado Christian 5-2 and 4-2 on Friday at Las Vegas, N.M. The teams play another doubleheader today.

CSU-Pueblo must finish ahead of Highlands in the final league standings to earn a playoff spot. That's because the Cowboys hold the tiebreaker if the teams finish deadlocked.

In effect, the Pack must win the next three games in the series against Regis, while Highlands loses at least one game against Colorado Christian.

Playing in weather more fit for a polar bear with temperatures dipping well below freezing Friday night, a Pack the Park crowd of 1,574 quickly dissipated as the game wore on. As did the CSU-Pueblo defense, which committed nine errors in the game, tying a school record.

"We kicked the ball around and self-destructed," CSU-Pueblo head coach Stan Sanchez said. "We started out great and Mario (Mattivi) was throwing great but we couldn't field the ball. The seven hurt us and that was it. That was the ball game right there.

The whole (pre-game youth) clinic was awesome and was great. That's too bad."

The night started brilliantly for the Pack as starter Mario Mattivi (7-2) cruised through the first three innings without allowing a hit.

Meanwhile, the T-Wolves erected a 6-0 lead against Regis starter Anthony Musielak (6-3), scoring three runs in the first, two in the second and another in the third.

But the Rangers struck for two runs in the fourth as Tyler Hageman, who finished with five hits and six RBIs, unloaded a two-run home run.

Still, the Pack led 6-2 and Mattivi appeared to be in control.

Then came the disastrous fifth inning.

Regis sent 11 batters to the plate, putting up a seven-spot with only four hits. Five different CSU-Pueblo defenders made errors in the inning. And the result was a 9-6 Regis lead.

CSU-Pueblo managed to chop the deficit to 9-8 in the bottom of the fifth as Jon Proesl ripped his eight homer of the season, a two-run job.

But the damage had been done.

"The home run didn't bother me because I still got out of the (fourth) inning," Mattivi said. "If you don't believe in your defense . . . I have to believe in my defense and I just kept trying to get ground balls."

Regis added single runs in the sixth and seventh, two more in the eight and three in the ninth to run away from the Pack.

The T-Wolves managed to pushed across three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn't enough.

Despite having an outside shot at making the playoffs, with help, Sanchez was in no mood to talk about the postseason.

"It doesn't matter," Sanchez said. "Help, nah. You want to play good baseball at the end of the year and if that (Friday's game) was any indication, we're not capable. It's a shame we played like that. The team has been playing well all of April.

"It's one of the best defensive team we've had in a long time. It was really strange how it happened."

PACK POINTERS: CSU-Pueblo entered the game with a chance to become the best fielding team in school history with a .965 fielding percentage. The nine errors tied a school record that was held by four previous CSU-Pueblo teams. . . . The fireworks show scheduled after the game was shut down and never went off because of the inclement weather. . . . CSU-Pueblo holds the national NCAA Division II record for attendance of 3,683 set three years ago during the initial Pack the Park night. . . . The teams play a 2 p.m. doubleheader today at Rawlings Field and close the series with a 5 p.m. nine-inning contest Sunday at Rawlings.