LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team fell to Colorado Christian in the series opener on Thursday afternoon by a score of 6-3 at All Star Park.
 
I-Ly Hsue provided the top bat for the Orediggers as he went 2-for-4 with a double while scoring once and driving in one more. Toby Scoles and Trevor Howard also scored runs for Mines. Keene Tanaka and Luke Folsom tallied the other two RBI. Folsom added a double as well while Scoles and Noah Kuzma smacked one double each. Defensively, Drew Hill (0-5) started on the mound and took the decision after 4.2 innings of five-run, seven-hit baseball which included five strikeouts. Jackson Bakovich was the bright spot on the mound, providing 2.1 innings of three-hit, shutout relief. Rodney Gregg also pitched out of the bullpen.
 
As a team, Mines (2-15, 2-15 RMAC) notched seven hits to hit .218 while committing just one error in the field. Colorado Christian (6-10, 5-18 RMAC) walked away with 12 hits as the difference maker in the three-run victory. The Cougars also committed one error in the field, but benefitted from four total doubles. Overall, the Orediggers made it through the nine-inning affair on three pitchers while CCU used six arms with Devin Sutorious (1-1) earning the win and JC Watne claiming his second save of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
As Major League Baseball celebrated opening day for the 2021 season, the sun also shone on Lakewood, Colo. Mines basked in the sun early thanks to a one-out double from Hsue in the top of the first inning. Unfortunately, Hsue's extra-base hit and another from Scoles in the second yielded no runs for the Orediggers while CCU posted three in the bottom of the second inning.
 
The home team would never surrender that 3-0 lead despite Mines scoring runs in the third, fourth and seventh innings. Folsom's triple plated Hsue in the third. Tanaka brought Scoles into score in the fourth, and Hsue drove in Howard in the seventh. Meanwhile, Colorado Christian defended its lead with two runs in the bottom of the third and one run of insurance in the sixth frame. The Orediggers' closed the game leaving 10 men on base including a bases-loaded eighth inning which saw no runs score.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines still boasts a 51-25 advantage in the series dating back to 2006.
- Thursday's loss snapped the Orediggers' four-game win streak against CCU.
- Folsom's triple marked the first of his career and the third for Mines this season.
- Hsue's first-inning double gave the redshirt-freshman seven on the season which leads the team.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is 53-36 in his third year as head coach for the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines continues its spring break series with CCU on Friday at 3 p.m. Fans are allowed to attend the game at All Star Park. Those unable to make it can follow live stats and video for free online 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.