Pack suffers shocking breakdown vs. Highlands

Game 1: New Mexico Highlands 20, No. 13 CSU-Pueblo 4
Game 2: New Mexico Highlands 17, No. 13 CSU-Pueblo 16

The ThunderWolves played nothing like their ranking of 13th in the nation might suggest on Saturday vs. New Mexico Highlands, as Pack pitchers gave up a total of 37 runs over two games en route to being swept by the Cowboys.

In both games, the ThunderWolves relief pitchers suffered a dramatic breakdown, giving up a total of 25 earned runs in just a total of 8-2/3 innings.  Over the two games, Pack pitchers issued 16 walks and 11 wild pitches, many coming with runners on base. 

The Pack batters, however, did their best to keep pace with Cowboys.  The ThunderWolves connected on 27 hits over the two games, led by Bryant Veiga (Jr., Hemet, Calif.), who went 5-for-6 over the two games with 4 RBI, and Dan Ninomiya (Jr., Woodinville, Wash.), who went 4-for-7 and knocked in three Pack runners. In game two, five ThunderWolves registered three hits.

In game two, the Pack bats seemed to carry them over the top for an unlikely win.  Trailing 10-6 in the 5th inning, the Pack put put nine runs in the bottom of fifth, giving CSU-Pueblo a 15-10 lead with two innings remaining.

But the lead would not hold as Highlands put up seven runs over the game's final two innings, leaving the Pack batters, who put up 19 hits in the Cowboys in game two, to bail out the pitchers yet again.  But a would-be rally fell flat when the Pack could only put up one run in the 7th inning, leaving the final tally 17-16 in favor of the Cowboys.  The game ended on a hard line drive to first base by Mark Sayas (Jr., Las Vegas, Nev.), who ran out of gas after a 3-for-5 day.

CSU-Pueblo will try to avoid the sweep Sunday when the series closes with a nine-inning game, beginning at noon.