GAME 1 - Mines 8, New Mexico Highlands 6
Kevin Zapanta's two-pitch save halted New Mexico Highlands' rally as the Orediggers won the resumed game 8-6 to start the day.
After a gusty snow squall halted play to a thriller on Friday, the two teams finished what they started Saturday morning as NMHU had the bases loaded with two outs and the winning run on first. Zapanta needed only about a minute to finish things off, delivering a ball to Ashton Roy before he popped up to right to end the game.
On Friday, both starters gave their teams strong outings with winner
Ben Schoneman (1-2) going eight and two-thirds with five strikeouts, and Jadrian Martinez departing in the seventh after striking out three and allowing two earned. Mines' bats produced 16 hits, including a 3-for-5 game by
Danny McDermott and 3-for-4 pace by
Caden Bonds.
With Mines playing as the away team, McDermott got things going in the top of the first when he singled in
Alex Bumpus, but NMHU quickly took the lead when Joe Kuhn led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run before Fabian Ferreira singled in Gavin Gifford to lead 2-1.
Mines' bats heated up as
I-Ly Hsue went yard to tie it 2-2 in the third, and Luke Folson drove one inside the left field foul pole to lead off the fourth with a 3-2 advantage.
The Orediggers broke it open in the seventh with a five-run frame. McDermott reached with a one-out single causing NMHU to pull Martinez, and Mines quickly figured out reliever J.T. Mossberg, scoring all five runs off him with two outs. Bonds singled in McDermott to start the rally, and two batters later,
Keene Tanaka drew a bases-loaded walk before Bumpus singled in two more runs. Tanaka then scored on an error to make it 8-2.
As the snow squall blew into Colorado Springs in the ninth, NMHU put four across in the ninth including Ashton Roy's homer to start the rally. Ferreira and Jared Brown singled in runs to cut it to 8-6 with two outs, and the Cowboys loaded the bases as
Blake Ripp hit the only batter he faced just before the game was halted.
GAME 2 - New Mexico Highlands 2, Mines 1
Angel Castillo's complete-game effort helped New Mexico Highlands prevail in a 2-1 pitchers' dual on Saturday.
The Orediggers were held to six hits as
Brayden Weyer (1-1) turned in his second straight quality start going seven innings and allowing only the two runs.
Kevin Zapanta was excellent in relief with two strikeouts against one hit in two scoreless innings. Castillo (1-1) threw 130 pitches and struck out four allowing a single unearned run.
Toby Scoles led Mines at the plate going 2-for-4 while
Wayne Moeck drove in the Orediggers' only run.
Joe Kuhn got the Cowboys on the board in the fourth with a double to plate Gaylan Young, but Mines would tie it in the sixth when Moeck's sacrifice fly plated
Alex Bumpus to make it 1-1.
NMHU went ahead in the seventh thanks to Brandon Baier's RBI single, and the Orediggers stranded runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth, including the winning run on second in their final at-bat as an error allowed the Orediggers to put runners on second and third with two outs before Castillo induced a flyout to end the game.
NEXT UP
Mines finishes pod play Sunday against the host UCCS at 2:30 p.m.
