PUEBLO, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team created some late game magic of their own on Saturday as a six-run seventh inning in game two was fueled by a go-ahead three-run blast from
Kit Wigington to give the Mountain Lions a doubleheader split against Colorado State University Pueblo.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Game 1: UCCS 2, CSU Pueblo 6 | Game 2: UCCS 8, CSU Pueblo 6
Records: UCCS (18-27, 13-14 RMAC), CSU Pueblo (26-19, 17-10 RMAC)
Location: Rawlings Field | Pueblo, Colo.
Series: The all-time series remains even between UCCS and CSU Pueblo with Saturday's doubleheader split moving the series to 9-9.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
• Game one of Saturday's doubleheader was all CSU Pueblo with the ThunderWolves plating all six of their runs through the first two innings to hold onto a 6-0 lead over UCCS starter
John Hoffman and the Mountain Lions.
• CSU Pueblo managed to get one across in the first with Trey Vasquez driving in an RBI off an infield single to the right side in the first as two more RBI singles in the second inning was partnered with a bases clearing two-RBI double from Noah Hennings.
• Zach Pratt of CSU Pueblo had the Mountain Lions number by stringing together five straight scoreless innings with UCCS recording four hits in that span. Senior
Aaron Faragallah represented the only Mountain Lions to work into scoring position through four innings after getting to second base on a passed ball in the second inning but Pratt and the ThunderWolves held on to the six-run lead.
• In the fifth inning with Pratt still on the bump, the Mountain Lions found some offensive momentum by plating two runs off the bat of
Kit Wigington who drove in
Kiichi Sato on his second home run of the series after driving a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence to lift UCCS out of the shutout and provide an adjusted 2-6 game.
• Cruising through three consecutive shutout innings after giving up the six runs in the first two innings, UCCS and reliever pitcher
Garrett Shriver made it a fourth straight scoreless inning to have one more chance to work back into the game.
• Freshman
Macully Sehr was able to notch the team's sixth hit but that was all the Mountain Lions could produce as the ThunderWolves recorded the 6-2 win.
STATS FROM THE DAY:
• The Mountain Lions were outhit 7-6 by CSU Pueblo with UCCS committing two errors that contributed to two unearned runs.
• Kit Wigington and
Aaron Faragallah were responsible for four of the team's six hits as they each went 2-for-3 with Wigington tallying two RBI off a home run.
• Both UCCS and CSU Pueblo stranded six runners in the game.
•
John Hoffman went down as the losing pitcher in a 4.0 inning effort as the redshirt freshman allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits as reliever
Garrett Shriver allowed no runs on just one hit in two innings of work.
• CSU Pueblo's Zach Pratt threw 6.2 innings for the win as he allowed two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
• In game two, UCCS struck first with the team's opening run coming from no other than
Kit Wigington for his second home run on the day and third of the series as the starting outfielder sent a two-out solo shot the opposite way for a 1-0 lead.
• UCCS'
Cole Philip received the game two start and trended in the right direction through innings one and two as he allowed three hits and leaned on his infield to get out of a CSU Pueblo scoring opportunity with runners on first and third in the second.
• The home half of the third saw the ThunderWolves' first run scored in game two as Noah Hennings homered to left field for a tied ballgame at 1-1.
• The Mountain Lions were unable to get any runs across in the top of the fourth as the ThunderWolves struck again by driving in two runs in the bottom of the fourth as a two-hit inning was paired with a UCCS infield throwing error to put the Mountain Lions down 3-1.
• The ThunderWolves continued to chip away the following inning as a two-run Ty Lewis home run and Kysen Howard RBI single were registered off Philip and
Jon Sotto in the home half of the fifth to give the Mountain Lions their largest deficit of the game, 2-6.
• After a
Kiichi Sato leadoff walk and Wigington double led to an RBI for Stubbings in the top of the sixth, the Mountain Lions found themselves in a position to do some more damage in the top of the seventh being down just four runs. Three straight singles from
Tyler Richardson,
Macully Sehr, and
Walker Rumsey put the Mountain Lions' top of the order due up with no outs as Jaden Hegmann stepped in to wear a fast ball on the back of the left shoulder to cut the deficit down to three runs. It was then Sato's turn as the two-hole hitter came out of a full count by singling through the right side for two runs to bring up the red hot Wigington. The Colorado Springs native worked a 2-0 hitter's count and before proceeding to jump on the next pitch by blasting a clutch go-ahead three-run homer to give the Mountain Lions a six-run seventh and an 8-6 lead.
• With the lead in hand heading into the bottom of the seventh,
Brock Weiss was called on and answered as the freshman allowed just one hit and rendered the ThunderWolves scoreless to claim the 8-6 win.
STATS FROM THE GAME | GAME TWO
• CSU Pueblo outhit the Mountain Lions for the third straight game, 13-11. A total of five errors were combined between both teams with three credited to the Mountain Lions and two going the ThunderWolves' way.
• Eight of nine Mountain Lions tallied a hit with
Kit Wigington notching a team high three hits in a stellar 3-for-4 game that included a game high four RBI, two home runs, and a double.
Kiichi Sato adds a 2-for-3 day with two RBI driven in.
•
Cole Philip's day ended through 4.1 innings after giving up six runs with just three earned on 10 hits.
Jon Sotto entered in the fifth to log 1.2 innings of work that resulted in his third win of the season after allowing two hits, no runs and just one walk.
Brock Weiss throws one full inning with one strikeout and one hit allowed to earn the save.
• CSU Pueblo starter Owen Rudolphi registered six complete innings where he gave up four runs on 10 hits with three wild pitches. The ThunderWolves' bullpen struggled with the Mountain Lions plating four runs off relievers Charlie Williams and Ruben Portillo who didn't register an out as they allowed three runs and one run, respectively.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• The top-four hitters of the Mountain Lions' lineup were responsible for all eight RBI and combined for nine hits, including three home runs from three-hole hitter
Kit Wigington.
• Wigington extends his home-run streak to four straight games with two of those games being multi-home run games.
•
Kiichi Sato bags his 10
th multi-RBI game of the season.
•
Brock Weiss records his team high third save.
UP NEXT:
UCCS Baseball will look to even up the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch of game four slated for 1 p.m.
SOCIAL:
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
