Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Walter Pennington pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen Wednesday and Mikey Gangwish rewarded him with a walk-off home run as the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team took down MSU Denver 7-5 in its RMAC Tournament opener at Sam Suplizio Field.
 
Pennington (6-3) tossed 5.2 innings of two-hit shutout relief with five strikeouts on the way to his sixth win of the season. Owen Pigati (1-1) made the start but did not factor in the decision. For the Roadrunners, Logan Soole put in 8.0 innings of work before Cale O'Donnell (2-4) was dealt the loss in relief.
 
At the plate, Derek Daly was Mines' most efficient hitter as he went 2-for-2 with a walk and scored a run. Gangwish finished his day 1-for-5 with three RBI. Jace Selsor and Joe Popp also collected two hits including Popp's 11th home run of the year. Trevor Kehe also hit a three-run dinger for the Orediggers, his 15th long ball of the season.
 
The early innings were all MSU Denver (22-27) as the Roadrunners put up one run in the first, two in the second and three in the fourth. With a 5-0 deficit facing the Orediggers (33-14), Pennington immerged from the bullpen.
 
For five straight innings, Pennington shut down the Roadrunners' offense, including a seven-pitch top of the eighth. Mines' offense responded to the Sophomore hurler's performance as Kehe hit his bomb in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-3 and Popp went long in the bottom of the eighth inning to make it 5-4.
 
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Cameron Maxey led off with two-strike single to center field. MSU Denver retired the next two batters before Selsor recorded his second hit of the game with a single to left field. Gangwish stepped to the plate and sent the first pitch he saw well over the right-field fence – his first hit of the day.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines broke the single-season wins record Wednesday with its 33rd victory of the season.
- Gangwish's three-run dinger helped the Orediggers break the single-season runs record with 402 on the year.
- Mines has recorded at least 10 hits in 29 games and hit at least two home runs in 24 games.
- The Orediggers are 30-3 when scoring six runs or more.
- Gangwish is tied for sixth on Mines' single-season hits list with 69.
- Pennington's victory ties him for second-most wins in a single season.
- Mines has broken seven team and individual records in 2018.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines faces CSU-Pueblo Thursday at 7 p.m. at Sam Suplizio field in the second round of the RMAC Tournament. Live stats and video will be available at www.MinesAthletics.com.
 
Keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all season long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.