Rams split series against CSU-Pueblo

The Rams are 10-5 after splitting a pair of doubleheaders in Pueblo, Colorado, against the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves this past weekend.


The Rams were originally supposed to have one game on Friday and one Saturday, leading to a doubleheader on Sunday.


However, due to a snow delay, the Friday game was postponed and moved to Saturday to make a second doubleheader.


The Rams said they don’t believe the delay adversely affected the way they played.

“It didn’t affect us,” senior Quaid McKinnon said. “I think it was kind of funny to have a snow delay. We’re never going to have that here.”


Senior Ryan Greer said the Rams have to be prepared for anything that’s thrown at them, and that includes weather.


“I just think we played OK,” McKinnon said. “I think we could’ve played a lot better. One game we pitched well and one game we hit, but we didn’t play good defense or pitch well.”


The Rams won Saturday’s first game 7-5 in a battle of swinging bats as the two teams combined for 21 hits.


Junior shortstop Christian Summers showcased his talents by going three for four and earning three RBIs off a bases-clearing double.


The second game was a pitcher’s duel for five innings with the Rams up 1-0 after an RBI single by senior Lee Neumann in the first.


The Rams’ catcher Andrew LaCombe increased the lead to 2-0 with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Greer from third.


The ThunderWolves bounced back and despite five previous shutout innings, senior Michael Weatherly could not stop Colorado’s bats, and was lit up for three earned runs off five consecutive hits before being relieved by senior Austin Church.


Church gave up three more runs (one charged to Weatherly) before getting out of the inning with the Rams down 6-2.


The Rams scored three more runs, but couldn’t complete the comeback and lost 6-5.

On Sunday, the Rams won the first game of the doubleheader 2-0 by riding the arm of junior pitcher Bryce Zak.


The former Central High School Bobcat won Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week by pitching eight innings of two-hit, shutout ball while striking out two and forcing 12 ground balls.


“Bryce is a hell of a pitcher,” Greer said. “He earned his spot in the rotation and is a big part of our team right now.”


First baseman McKinnon had a perfect view of each pitch that Zak threw and said it was awesome to watch.


“He’s been throwing well all year long and it was just a matter of time for him to have a game like that,” McKinnon said. “He was unhittable.”


Junior Reggie Rodriguez batted in two runs off of a double in the seventh that gave the Rams all the offense they would need in order to win.


The ThunderWolves then evened the series by winning the final game 3-2 after coming back from a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning.


The Rams will play Bellarmine University for the first time ever on Monday, Mar. 4, at Foster Field at 6:30 p.m. and the only thing that Head Coach Kevin Brooks said he knows about them is that they are from Kentucky and are 3-1 so far this season.