GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team scored runs in the last five innings on Friday night but came up short in its 11-7 loss to Dixie State in the series opener at Jim Darden Field.
 
Mines' leadoff hitter Trevor Kehe fueled the Orediggers' offense with one run and three RBI on a 3-for-5 night at the plate. Kehe also went long for the Orediggers, notching his fourth home run of the season. Joe Popp also came up big on offense, tallying three hits in four at-bats including two doubles. Popp added two runs to his resume as well. Gabe Garvens went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Ben Stinson came off the bench and put up a 2-for-2 performance while scoring twice. Gangwish capped it all off with his fifth home run of the season, becoming Mines' all-time RBI leader.
 
On the mound, Owen Pigati (1-2) started for the Orediggers and took the loss. Pigati bowed out of the game after three innings of six-hit, five run (four earned) baseball. Mitch Menard and Nick Gardner contributed three combined innings of relief. Colin Morris and Nate Giefer closed it out with three total innings of shutout relief, surrendering just three hits between them. Dixie State's Jayden Murray (7-2) earned the win while Brecken Lewis (1) recorded the three-inning save.
 
As a team, Mines (19-9, 10-7 RMAC) turned in a combined batting average of .333 including five doubles and two home runs. The Oredigger pitching staff teamed up for seven total strikeouts. On the other side, Dixie State (23-8, 13-4 RMAC) hit five doubles and one home run. The Trailblazers move into a tie for second place in the conference standings thanks to Colorado Mesa's loss at CSU-Pueblo. Mines falls into sixth place, but only sits four games back of league leader MSU Denver.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening frame of the game was all Mines. Pigati struck out the first batter of the game on four pitches and brushed off a walk with a pop-up and a ground ball back to the mound. In the bottom half, Kehe took one pitch out of the zone before hitting an opposite-field home run well over the fence in right-center field. With a 1-0 lead, the Orediggers appeared to be in the driver's seat.
 
Dixie State answered right back in the top of the second inning. Back-to-back singles started the inning and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. The Trailblazers capitalized with three runs on four hits before Mines' defense could stop the bleeding. The Orediggers kept themselves in the game with another run in the bottom half of the second thanks to a leadoff double from Popp. However, that run did nothing to slow down DSU. The visitors proceeded to add two runs in the third, two in the fourth and three in the sixth for a 10-3 lead.
 
Garvens provided Mines its third run of the game thanks to a lead-off, bunt single in the bottom of the fifth stanza. That would mark the start of the Orediggers' attempted rally. Gangwish continued the surge with his lead-off bomb in the bottom of the sixth inning, cutting Dixie State's lead to 10-4. Unfortunately for Mines, the Trailblazers answered with a lead-off tank in the top of the seventh. The home team would shut out the opposition over the final three frames and notch single runs in the seventh and eighth, making the score 11-6 with one chance remaining.
 
Stinson began Mines' last hurrah by hitting a lead-off single to center field on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning. Phil VanZale drove his teammate home with a double down the left-field line, pulling the Orediggers within four runs. Kehe worked a seven-pitch at-bat but could not move VanZale to third. Dixie State closed it out with eight pitches to retire the last two batters.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is now 1-2 in the all-time series against Dixie State.
- Gangwish is now Mines' all-time leader in home runs (36) and RBI (151).
- Friday's series opener featured eight pitchers, tossing 366 pitches over a duration of 3:22.
- In 2019, the Orediggers have played seven games lasting at least three hours.
- Gangwish currently boasts a reached-base streak of 18 games.
- Popp leads Mines with 11 doubles on the season and has reached base safely in 15-straight games.
- Kehe's home run on Friday night marked the 23rd home run of his career.
- Kehe currently leads the Orediggers with 36 runs scored this season.
- Stinson's double against Dixie State marked his first of the season and second of his career.
- VanZale is now batting .340 on the season with a career-high six doubles and 10 RBI. He's slugging .660 on the year.
- Dixie State walked zero batters and committed zero errors in its series-opening victory.
- Mines out-scored the Trailblazers 5-4 over the final five innings on Friday night.
- Head coach Robby Bales is 19-9 in his first season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines and Dixie State continue their series with a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at Jim Darden Field. 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.