DENVER – Redshirt junior John Howard hit the first home run of his career Friday as the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team rallied from a 7-2 deficit to take down MSU Denver 10-8 at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
Howard's bomb in the top of the sixth inning helped Mines score eight unanswered runs as he finished the day 2-for-4 with one run and three RBI. Derek Daly also came up big with his third home run of the season and his 10th double, going 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Mikey Gangwish stayed hot at the plate, scoring one run on three hits with one RBI. Jace Selsor and Joe Popp also collected multiple hits on the day.
 
Drew Burman (5-0) was a grinder on the mound, pitching 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts as he surrendered eight runs on 11 hits on his way to the win. Gabe Garvens (3-0) earned his first save of the season behind 1.1 innings of one-hit, shutout relief. MSU Denver's Nick Ulmer (0-1) was dealt the loss.
 
The Roadrunners (9-13, 5-4 RMAC) jumped out to a 5-1 lead with three runs in the first, one in the second and one more in the third. Daly hit a RBI double off the top of the fence in the second frame to get Mines (14-5, 7-2 RMAC) on the board.
 
In the top of the fifth, Daly got all of the ball and sent it out of the park to straightaway center field to make it 5-2. However, MSU Denver plated two more runs in the bottom half to increase its lead to 7-2.
 
Mines staged its rally in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single from Gangwish. Popp drove him in with a double to left field and Daly drew a one-out walk with Howard stepping to the plate. A first-pitch ball led to a fastball inside that Howard took all the way out to right field to pull the visitors within one.
 
A one-two-three bottom half kept the momentum with the Orediggers as they would take the lead in the top of the seventh for the first time in the game. Trevor Kehe was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Popp hit a one-out single to third base. Walter Pennington stepped up to the plate and smacked a two-run double to make it 8-7, Mines.
 
Daniel Ciraula helped the Orediggers get two runs of insurance in the top of the eighth as he worked a leadoff walk and came in to score on a single from Selsor. Gangwish drove in Mines' final run as he drove in Kehe from second base and clinched the win.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 8-1 in its last nine games.
- The Orediggers continue to lead the nation with more than two home runs per game.
- Mines has come from behind in six of its wins this season.
- Howard is the ninth individual on the team to hit a home run this season.
- Daly leads the team with 10 doubles and has hit home runs in two straight games.
- Friday marked Mines' 10th error-free game this season.
- The Orediggers have hit 39 home runs through 19 games.
- Mines is batting .337 and leads the nation slugging .622 as a team.
- Walter Pennington is No. 3 in the country with a slugging percentage of 1.023
- Twelve Orediggers have combined for 62 games with multiple hits through 19 contests.
- Popp leads the team with a 18-game hitting streak.
- Trevor Kehe has reached base safely in every game this season.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers continue the series with MSU Denver Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the Regency Sports Complex. Live stats and video will be available at www.MinesAthletics.com.