GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team dropped a 25-0 decision to #5-ranked Colorado Mesa in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Sam Suplizio Field.
I-Lye Hsue stepped up as Mines' leader at the plate and produced a 2-for-3 day from the leadoff spot.
Chris Okamoto came off the bench and went 1-for-1 to account for the rest of the Orediggers' offense.
Luke Folsom also drew a walk as the designated hitter.
Adam Houghtaling (0-2) started on the mound and took the loss after 10 runs on 10 hits over 2.1 innings.
Zachary Kriethe,
Rodney Gregg,
Jackson Bakovich and
Brayden Weyer all appeared out of the bullpen.
As a team, Mines (0-8, 0-8 RMAC) summoned just three hits, and suffered from six errors on defense. Colorado Mesa (9-1, 6-0 RMAC) generated its 25 runs off of 24 hits including 15 for extra bases and six home runs. The Mavericks also produced a clean sheet on defense and saw its pitching staff strikeout 14 batters. The Orediggers had not been shut out in nearly two years. Colorado Mesa extended its winning streak to nine straight games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started under cloudy skies with chilly temperatures and moisture in the air. However, the conditions did nothing to cool the home team's offense. Colorado Mesa burst out to a 4-0 lead in the opening frame and did not look back as CMU racked up one in the second, seven in third and six in the fourth. Hsue halted the no-hit bid with a leadoff bunt down the third-base line in the top of the fourth. He also laced a one-out double in the top of the sixth. Okamoto's pinch-hit single took place in the top of the eighth. That was pretty much all she wrote from an Oredigger perspective in Grand Junction.
NOTABLES
- The last time Mines suffered a shutout was March 16, 2019, at the hands of Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction.
- Hsue now leads the Orediggers this season with a .370 batting average. He scored three runs and hit .357 on the weekend.
- Missed from Saturday is that
Nash Neff's home run in the doubleheader also marked the first hit of his collegiate career.
- Weyer made two appearances on the mound in Grand Junction and finished with a 0.00 ERA with 2.2 innings of one-run (unearned), two-hit baseball.
- For those who are wondering, the 25-0 loss is not the worst loss in program history. In 2010, the Orediggers dropped a 29-0 decision at UT Permian Basin – a team that featured future MLB player Evan Gattis.
- Sunday's finale took just two hours and 25 minutes to complete.
- Head Coach
Robby Bales is 51-29 in his third year as head coach for the Orediggers.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines is slated to host CSU Pueblo next weekend at Jim Darden Field. As record snowfall continues along the Front Range, that schedule could change. Any adjustments will be announced at www.minesahtletics.com. Live stats and video of any series will be available at www.minesathletics.com.
