GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team and MSU Denver played a postseason classic on Thursday night in the second round of the RMAC Tournament with the Orediggers falling just shy in a 6-4 loss at Bergman Field.
 
Mason Andrews led the lower-seeded underdogs by going 2-for-5 with one run and two RBI on a double and a home run. Adam Houghtaling, Taylor White and I-Lye Hsue all notched two hits apiece as well. Houghtaling and White combined for three RBI and two doubles. Wayne Moeck and Luke Folsom scored the other two runs. Kevin Zapanta was the starting pitcher for Mines (33-18), but did not factor in the decision despite 6.0 innings of work with four runs on five hits and six strikeouts. Nash Neff (1-1) took the loss due to one run in one inning of work where he racked up three strikeouts. Marcus Lee also appeared in relief and surrendered one unearned run on one hit.
 
The Orediggers out-hit MSU Denver (32-19) by a 10-8 margin. Mines and the Roadrunners tied with four hits for extra bases thanks to three doubles and one home run apiece. Two Oredigger errors led to one unearned run for MSU Denver. However, it was a pair of two-out hits by the Roadrunners and 11 runners stranded by Mines which made the difference. Conner Nantkes (W, 6-1) earned the decision in relief on the mound. Eric Cox (S, 7) closed it out for the team from Denver.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Thursday night's second-round game in the winner's bracket of the 2022 RMAC Baseball Tournament was an instant classic which, unfortunately for fifth-seeded Mines, went in favor of third-seeded MSU Denver. Andrews provided early life for the Orediggers thanks to his one-out, solo home run in the top of the first for a 1-0 lead. Zapanta's pickoff at first base and two strikeouts held that margin through one frame. However, the Roadrunners clapped back with a two-run home run and a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the second to jump ahead, 3-1.
 
Mines didn't allow the lead to last long for for the #1 offense in the conference. In the visitor's half of the third inning, walks to Moeck, Folsom and Houghtaling set up White's two-run, two-out, RBI double to left-center field. That tied the game 3-3, but MSU Denver answered right back with one run on two wild pitches and a RBI single in the home half of the third frame, making it 4-3, Roadrunners. The fourth inning saw one baserunner apiece for either side, but no scoring. Then, Andrews doubled to lead off the fifth and Houghtaling drove him in for a 4-4 tie. Zapanta assured the deadlock stood after five complete by retiring the side on eight pitches in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
The sixth inning provided another set of stacked zeroes on the scoreboard. Right after that, MSU Denver made its move. Neff struck out the first two hitters he saw before the Roadrunners barreled a double and a single to take a 5-4 lead with two more innings to play. They added one more insurance run in the eighth on an error and a two-out double. Houghtaling's one-out double in the top of the ninth was the closest Mines came to a last hurrah as MSU Denver proved the worth of its First-Team All-RMAC closer.
 
NOTABLES
- Since 2016, the Orediggers are 11-9 in the RMAC Tournament. Since taking over in 2019, Coach Bales boasts a conference-tournament record of 4-3.
- Andrews hit the 11th home run of his freshman campaign which ties him for #9 on Mines' all-time, single-season list.
- Folsom scored his 50th run of the season,
- The Oredigger pitching staff and defense has only surrendered five earned runs in two games and 17 innings of work in the 2022 conference postseason.
- Zapanta's 82 strikeouts so far this season put him #5 in Mines' record book.
- Coach Bales holds an overall record of 95-59 in his fourth season as the head coach at Mines.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Orediggers face #10-ranked and top-seeded Colorado Mesa at 11 a.m. on Friday morning in an elimination game. If Mines wins, it takes on MSU Denver at 7 p.m. on Friday night – all at Bus Bergman Field in Grand Junction, Colo. Live stats and video of the games will be offered 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.