PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team put together an eight-run ninth inning on Friday evening, but couldn't complete the comeback as the Orediggers dropped an 11-10 series opener to CSU Pueblo at Rawlings Field.
 
Noah Kuzma finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate including a double with one run and one RBI. Toby Scoles led the team with three RBI while finishing 1-for-4 and scoring once while notching a double. Danny McDermott was 2-for-4 and scored twice for Mines (0-9, 0-9 RMAC). Gabe Garvens made one plate appearance and hit a two-run home run as part of the comeback effort. Jason Hall tallied two RBI as well while Luke Folsom and Trevor Howard drew multiple walks each.
 
On the mound, Ben Schoneman (0-2) made the start and took the loss after the ThunderWolves (4-9, 2-7 RMAC) exploded for 10 runs in the first three innings. Marcus Lee was the only other pitcher to appear for Mines and he proved brilliant out of the bullpen with 7.0 innings of one-run baseball while striking out four. CSU Pueblo's staff saw Jeron Petterson (1-0) earn the win in relief, and Johnathan Ramirez grabbed the save.
 
Overall, the Orediggers hit .270 as a team but suffered from two errors in the field. The defensive miscues made four of CSU Pueblo's runs unearned. The ThunderWolves finished the game hitting over .400 thanks to 17 hits in 41 at-bats which helped offset three fielding errors by "The Pack". CSU Pueblo notched five hits for extra bases while Mines summoned three. Despite playing in Pueblo, the Orediggers were the home team on the scoreboard due to RMAC rules regarding changes of site for conference series.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Zeroes in the top and bottom half of the opening frame boded well for the Orediggers in their second straight road series. However, CSU Pueblo hit a leadoff home run to start the second inning and it led to eight runs on seven hits with two errors – the only two errors of the game for Mines. In the bottom half, the Orediggers worked three straight walks to score a run. Scoles had the RBI and McDermott came across to score making it 8-1 after two full innings.
 
Scoring mostly abated for the next five innings outside of two CSU Pueblo runs in the third and one more for Mines in the fifth. That put the score at 10-2 in favor of "The Pack" as the game steamrolled into the final two frames. The ThunderWolves added one critical run of insurance in the top of the eighth thanks to a leadoff walk followed by a stolen base and a RBI single. The Orediggers were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning.
 
That brought the decisive ninth inning to the forefront. CSU Pueblo put three different runners on base as the ThunderWolves sought more runs, but Mines held the opposition in check with a strikeout and two fielder's choices. The Orediggers walked to the plate in the bottom half staring an 11-2 deficit right in the eye. After a leadoff fly ball put one out on the board, Caden Bonds, Wayne Moeck and McDermott tallied three straight base knocks that brought Bonds in to score. Consecutive walks to Folsom and Hall scored Moeck and loaded the bases. At this point, the score was 11-4. Kuzma and Howard brought in a run apiece and Scoles cleared the bases with his double down the right-field line. Then, Garvens subbed in as a pinch hitter. The senior worked a 2-2 count before driving a ball deep over the fence in left-center field to pull Mines within one run at 11-10. Unfortunately, that is where the rally stopped despite a dropped ball in foul territory as CSU Pueblo worked the final out to clinch the win.
 
NOTABLES
- Garvens' home run was the fourth of his career and first of the season.
- Friday marked Mines' second-biggest offensive output of the season and surpassed the Orediggers' run total from all of last weekend.
- The loss to CSU Pueblo snapped Mines' seven-game win streak against "The Pack".
- Lee's appearance on the mound was his first out of the bullpen this season and in his career. He now leads the team in appearances and innings pitched.
- McDermott now has three multi-hit games this season while Kuzma's trio of knocks marked his first of the season.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is 51-30 in his third year as head coach for the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines continues the series against CSU Pueblo on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at Rawlings Field. The ThunderWolves do allow a limited number of fans. Live stats and video will also be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can follow Mines baseball on Twitter at @OrediggersBSB. They can also follow all Oredigger programs on Twitter at @MinesAthletics and online at www.minesathletics.com.