GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The #9-ranked Colorado School of Mines Baseball team fell in a marathon, slugfest finale on Sunday as it lost 15-11 to #5-ranked Colorado Mesa at Sam Suplizio Field.
Hitting was the name of the game as four different Orediggers hit home runs in the 3.5-hour, nine-inning contest.
Jace Selsor led the way by going 4-for-5 with one run and four RBI including a double and a dinger.
Trevor Kehe crossed the plate three times and drove in two more while adding his second bomb of the season.
Mason Peterson hit the first home run of his collegiate career as well, while
Derek Daly added his 11th tank of the season. Daly and
Danny McDermott joined Kehe with multi-run performances. Peterson, Kehe and Selsor made a trio of Orediggers with multi-RBI days.
Owen Pigati (0-1) made his fourth start of the season on the mound, but did not factor in the decision. He bowed out of the game following 2.0 innings of six-run, seven-hit work.
Gabe Garvens (3-1) wore the loss in relief after giving up six runs on eight hits.
Will Scott and
Ian Durgin also came out of the bullpen. Durgin was Mines' bright spot on the mound with one inning of no-hit, shutout relief.
The Orediggers fall to 13-6 overall and 4-4 in the RMAC despite hitting nearly .400 as a team while racking up seven hits for extra bases. Colorado Mesa extends its winning streak to 10 games with a firm grip on a share of first place in the conference standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first three innings of Sunday's finale afforded a flurry of hitting, power and scoring. Mines and Mesa combined for 15 runs on 18 hits with four home runs through the first third of the game. The Orediggers' offensive surge was highlighted by Selsor's two-run long ball in the top of the second inning and Daly's solo shot in the top of the third inning. Daly's dinger gave Mines a 6-5 advantage over the Mavericks. However, Mesa recorded two bombs of its own for a 9-6 lead after the third frame.
With Garvens on the mound in relief, the visitors shut down Mesa's offense for back-to-back shutout innings. The bottom of the fourth featured just one hit and a strikeout of the sophomore hurler. Then, in the fifth inning, Kehe spearheaded a double play by catching a line drive to center field and doubling up the Mavericks' baserunner with a throw to Daly at shortstop relayed to Peterson at second base. That double play would end the inning.
Meanwhile, on offense, Mines brushed off a zero in top of the fourth and plated two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Kehe was responsible for both runs in the fifth frame thanks to his two-run home run. Peterson replicated that in the sixth and a RBI-double from Selsor put the Orediggers back on top, 11-9. Unfortunately for Mines, that would mark the end of its scoring. Mesa rallied for six runs over the last three stanzas to clinch the victory and the series sweep.
NOTABLES
- Mines has not been swept in a standard four-game series since May 1-2, 2015 at Colorado Mesa.
- Sunday marks just the first loss of Garvens' career. He's now 6-1 in two seasons.
- McDermott recorded the first two hits and tallied the first RBI of his collegiate career in Sunday's finale. He also notched the first stolen base of his career.
- Daly continues to lead the RMAC with 30 RBI and 11 home runs so far this season. He now has 25 home runs in his career which sits #4 on Mines' all-time list.
- Oredigger pitchers finished the weekend with a total of 32 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
- Kehe scored five runs on the weekend which brings him to 128 in his career – tied for #7 in Mines' history.
- In four games, Mines and Mesa combined to hit 13 home runs and 15 doubles.
- The Orediggers have now lost 10 straight games to Colorado Mesa dating back to last season.
- Head coach
Robby Bales is 13-6 in his first season at the helm.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines travels to Regis March 22-24 for a four-game set in Denver. Live stats and videos 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.
