GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team closed the 2021 regular season on Wednesday evening with a pair of thrillers in a doubleheader split with New Mexico Highlands at Jim Darden Field.
 
Caden Bonds played the hero with the walk-off hit in Mines' game-two, 4-3 win. He finished hitting .667 with one RBI. I-Lye Hsue proved productive at the plate as well with two runs on three hits including one double. Danny McDermott went long for the Orediggers and finished the night with two runs, two hits and one RBI. Luke Folsom and Wayne Moeck each tallied three hits and combined for two runs and two RBI. Trevor Howard and Alex Bumpus were responsible for the game-tying and game-winning runs in the night cap. Bumpus was also 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter.
 
On the mound, Brayden Weyer (2-2) made the start but did not factor in the decision. Kevin Zapanta, Rodney Gregg and Marcus Lee all appeared in relief with Lee wearing the tough-luck loss despite 4.1 innings of one-run, four-hit baseball. Lee also struck out four batters in the extra-innings affair. Ben Schoneman (2-2) started game two but, like Weyer, did not factor in the decision despite 12 strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work. Schoneman only allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with only one walk. Adam Houghtaling (2-2) pitched the final inning and earned the victory thanks to a 1-2-3 appearance.
 
The doubleheader split keeps Mines (10-20, 10-20 RMAC) mathematically alive for a berth in the RMAC tournament. However, the Orediggers have to wait for multiple conference series to be played this weekend. Meanwhile, New Mexico Highlands (12-22, 10-20 RMAC) remains tied with Mines in the conference standings, but still has four games scheduled against Regis this weekend. The other teams Mines fans will watch are Colorado Christian and CSU Pueblo.
 
GAME ONE: New Mexico Highlands 6, Mines 5 (12 innings)
The late afternoon affair started with the Cowboys leaping out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a three-run second inning and one run in the third. New Mexico Highlands used a two-run home run in the second frame to do the most damage. Then, Mines responded with all five of its runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Orediggers scored thanks to three hits and three walks as Hsue, Moeck, McDermott, Folsom and Jason Hall all scored.
 
Mines' outburst led to an offensive lull until NMHU tied the game in the top of eighth inning courtesy of a double and a single sandwiched around a base on balls. The result was a 12-inning marathon which the visitors claimed on a sacrifice fly. The Orediggers sealed their fate by going down in order in the bottom half. Mines finished the game with two errors and no hits for extra bases while New Mexico Highlands notched three doubles and a home run with only one error.
 
GAME TWO: Mines 4, New Mexico Highlands 3
Schoneman exited the dugout and strode to the mound with a purpose in game two of the doubleheader. That purpose quickly became clear. His goal was clearly to strikeout every batter he faced. The redshirt freshman started with one strikeout in the first inning, three in the second inning and two in the third inning. Meanwhile, Mines' offense matched and surpassed NMHU's single run in the second frame thanks to McDermott's leadoff home run in the home half of the second followed by Hsue scoring after a double in the third. That led to the fourth inning. The only inning of the night in which Schoneman failed to record a strikeout. New Mexico Highlands took advantage and plated two runs on a double and a triple to claim a 3-2 lead.
 
Apparently, Schoneman took the Cowboys' scoring very personally. He proceeded to strikeout six straight batters starting in the top of the fifth and running through the sixth. It brought his total to 12 strikeouts before he handed the ball off to Houghtaling for the seventh as Mines still faced a 3-2 deficit. The San Jacinto Junior College transfer did his part and actually made it seven straight NMHU batters striking out before two fly balls sent the game into the bottom of the final frame.
 
Howard wore a pitch in the leadoff spot. Bumpus pinch hit and executed a perfect bunt down the third-base line and even forced an NMHU error that put Howard and Bumpus on third and second.  Bonds stepped to the plate and found himself in a 0-2 count against the Cowboys' starting pitcher. Then, he took the third pitch and sent it down the right-field line. The hit alone scored Howard, but a misplay by the NMHU right fielder allowed Bumpus to round third and score the walk-off run.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 9-1 in its last 10 games against New Mexico Highlands.
- Schoneman came just two strikeouts shy of tying the program's single game record of 14 set in 2004 against York College.
- McDermott's home run was his sixth of the season and 14th of his career.
- Folsom has reached base in 17 consecutive games and also boasts a six-game hitting streak.
- Fellow true freshman Brady Veltien touts an eight-game hitting streak as well.
- Hsue and Folsom are tied for the team high with 11 multi-hit games this season.
- If Mines does not qualify for the RMAC Tournament, Wednesday marks the final game in the careers of Trevor Howard, Drew Hill, Gabe Garvens, Jason Hall and Chris Okamoto.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is 60-39 in his third year as head coach for the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines awaits the conclusion of the rest of RMAC play this weekend to see if the Orediggers will advance to the conference tournament. Likely scenarios include a tiebreaker situation with Colorado Christian. Any applicable updates will be posted at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can follow Mines baseball on Twitter at @OrediggersBSB. They can also follow all of Mines Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @MinesAthletics, and online at www.minesathletics.com.