Box Score
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – No. 6 seed Colorado State-Pueblo rallied from 14-8 eighth inning deficit, including scoring two runs in the top of the ninth with two outs, to stun No. 5 seed Southwest Minnesota State 15-14 at the NCAA Central Region Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo.
SMSU, making its first ever NCAA tournament appearance, ends its season at 28-15, while CSU-P improves to 41-21. CSU-P will play Wayne State in an elimination game on Saturday night with the winner facing Mesa State on Sunday, May 17, for the region championship.
The game featured two of the top hitting teams in the country. CSU-Pueblo began the tournament ranked third in batting average, while SMSU ranked fifth. SMSU finished the game with 20 base hits, but the Mustang pitching staff allowed 15 hits, 10 walks and hit one batter in the contest.
SMSU closer Tyler Paulson retired the first two batters in the ninth inning, but a single, a double and a single gave CSU-P its first lead since the first inning and the eventual victory.
CSU-Pueblo took an early 1-0 lead off of Mustang starter Brad Haag in the top of the first inning on an RBI double by Jason Fobes.
SMSU answered back in the second inning as Matt Bauer doubled to lead off the frame and moved to third on a ground out by Derek West. Doug Stearns then singled to center to score Bauer and tie the game at 1-1. Jake Munsch then brought Stearns home with a hit-and-run double down the left field line to put the Mustangs in the lead. After a ground out for the second out, Scott Rambow belted a run-scoring double in the left-center field gap to score Munsch and extend the SMSU lead to 3-1 after two innings.
The Mustang offense continued to roll in the third inning as Greg Laughlin singled through the left side to start the inning and moved to third base on a single by Andrew Kinney that was then botched by the centerfielder putting runners at second and third base. Bauer scored both runners with a smash into the left-center field gap to make the score 5-1. West then walked and following a strike out by Stearns, Munsch was intentionally walked to load the bases. Josh Nolan made the move backfire as he bounced a single through the left side to score Bauer and West and push the lead to 7-1.
The Thunderwolves had a big answer in the top of the fourth plating three runs on two hits and two walks to trim the Mustang lead to 7-4 after three and a half innings.
But like CSU-Pueblo did in the top of the inning, SMSU had an answer of its own in the bottom half scoring two runs on three hits. Derick Swenson laced a solo home run over the left field wall to lead off the inning and was followed by a walk by Laughlin and back-to-back singles by Kinney and Bauer to load the bases. West hit into a fielder's choice forcing Laughlin out at the plate for the first out, before Stearns walked on four pitches to force in another run and give SMSU a 9-4 advantage. CSU-P escaped further damage in the inning as Munsch and Nolan struck out to end the inning.
CSU-P answered again in the fifth inning as Haag walked the first two batters of the inning and then allowed a three-run home run to Tony Pechek to cut the Mustang lead to 9-7.
The Thunderwolves threatened in the top of the sixth putting two runners on base with a hit by a pitch and walk with one out, but lefty Chris Koep relieved Haag and recorded a pop out and a ground out to end the inning and keep SMSU in the lead.
SMSU then responded in the bottom of the sixth as Bauer singled, his fourth hit of the game, then with one out stole second base. Following a fly out, Munsch singled to right field to put runners on the corners. Nolan then hit a dribbler down the third base for an infield single to score Bauer and make the score 10-7.
CSU-P answered back with a single run in the top of the seventh with a two-out solo home run to pull to within 10-8, but again the Mustangs had an answer in the bottom half and it was a big one scoring four runs. Swenson led off the seventh with a single and stole his team leading 10th base of the season. A fly out moved Swenson to third base and he came around to score one batter later as Kinney smacked a run-scoring single down the first base line to push the lead to 11-8. It was Kinney's 55th RBI of the season, the third highest total in a single-season in school history. A walk by Bauer put runners on first and second before West stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run home run over the left field fence to give SMSU back its six-run lead at 14-8. It was West's ninth home run of the season and his first since April 24.
But once again SMSU couldn't keep CSU-P off the board as Koep and Mustang closer Tyler Paulson walked four batters, gave up two hits and allowed five runs as CSU-P pulled to within 14-13. The Thunderwolves, trailing but just one run, had runners on first and second with one out but Paulson coaxed a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep SMSU in the lead.
Haag pitched 5.1 innings allowing seven runs on eight hits. Haag struck out two, walked five and hit one batter. Koep pitched two innings allowing six runs on three hits while walking four and striking out one. Paulson suffered the loss allowing two runs and four hits in 1.2 innings and dropped to 2-3 on the season.
Bauer finished the game 4-for-4 with four runs scored and two RBI, while Rambow and Kinney each finished with three hits.
SMSU Notes: Andrew Kinney finished the season with 55 RBIs this season ranks as the third highest for one season in school history … Greg Laughlin finished his career with a school record 213 base hits.
