Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Fifth-seeded CSU-Pueblo upset second-seeded MSU Denver 10-7 Wednesday in the first round of the double-elimination Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
The ThunderWolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning, then rallied after falling behind 5-3 to take a 7-5 lead and then finally scored three runs in the top of the ninth after MSU Denver had tied it.
 
"Offensively, for the first six innings, we did a nice job," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "We faced a guy with a very good arm who has pitched well against everybody – including us – and if you had told me that we would have four home runs and seven runs, I would have taken it.
 
"Unfortunately we weren't able to score the last couple of innings. We hit some balls hard, but just couldn't get enough to drop."
 
Chase Anderson tied the game with a three-run homer in the third inning, and Cade Peters hit the first of his two homers in the fourth to give the Roadrunners a 5-3 lead.
 
Peters and Colin Stone hit back-to-back homers in the sixth to tie the game 7-7.
 
"It was really good to see Cade swing the bat well out of the seven hole," Strain said. "He had some really good swings and just missed hitting a third homer."
 
Caleb Albaugh and Jake Barber also had two hits for the Roadrunners, who finished with 12.
 
Down 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth, MSU Denver attempted to put together one last rally. But Niko Piazza just missed a homer on a fly out to right field and, after Jake Williams drew a walk, CSU-Pueblo turned a spectacular game-ending double play on a sharply hit ball to shortstop by Owen Reynolds.
 
"Niko hit a ball really well to right, and Owen smoked a ball," Strain said. "But we had some situations where we had bad at-bats when we could've driven in runs and extended our lead earlier in the game. But double-digit hits and seven runs in a tournament game, our offense gave us a chance."
 
The Roadrunners dropped into the loser's bracket and will play again at 10 a.m. Thursday at Suplizio Field against the loser of a first-round game between top-ranked and top-seeded host Colorado Mesa and sixth-seeded Colorado Christian.
 
"We've got enough pitching to get back through it," Strain said. "We need to be better, but we've got some talented guys. We'll just have to fight and claw our way through the bracket."