LOS ANGELES – The bats exploded on Sunday for the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team in the Orediggers' 18-5, run-rule victory at Cal State L.A.
 
There were contributions up and down the lineup, but a majority of the production came from the fourth, fifth, and six spots in the order. Batting cleanup, Garret Nielsen went 3-for-4 including a home run while scoring four times and driving in three more. Mason Andrews batted fifth and finished 3-for-5 with two doubles. He notched two runs and two RBI as well. Trent Nielsen rounded out the hard-hitting trio by batting .500 with two runs, three RBI, and a home run. Also notable was Jackson Woolwine's 2-for-2 day with three walks and two stolen bases resulting in three runs scored. Caden Bonds had a multi-hit game as well.
 
Ben Schoneman (0-0) started the game on the mound, but did not factor in the decision. He handed the ball off to Marcus Lee (1-1) after giving up three runs on five hits while hitting two batters but walking none. Lee powered to the win by tossing 5.2 innings of two-run, four-hit baseball. He struck out three batters and walked two.
 
As a team, Mines (2-6) scored its 18 runs on 16 hits, batting .457 as a team. Seven of those hits went for extra bases including five doubles and two home runs. Cal State L.A. (5-4) hit over .300 as a team while notching two doubles and a triple. However, the Golden Eagles left six runners on base and only walked twice. In comparison, the Orediggers worked nine free passes off the Cal State L.A. pitching staff. Mines did strike out nine times and left 10 runners on base. The Golden Eagles only struck out three times as the Oredigger pitchers forced 14 outs through fly or ground balls.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The scoring started early and it did not stop. Each inning featured at least one run in either the top or bottom of the frame. Mines struck first with a three-run opening inning. Folsom drove in Woolwine, Garret Nielsen scored Houghtaling, and Trent Nielsen brought his brother Garret across the plate. Cal State L.A. would match the Orediggers' three runs with one in the first and two in the second to tie the score, 3-3. After that, it was all Mines.
 
The visitors exploded for five runs in the third and seven in the seventh to really do their damage. They also scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Garret Nielsen's home run sparked the third-inning outburst. Trent Nielsen's home run came in the sixth inning. In the Orediggers' final chance at the plate, Woolwine, Houghtaling, and Garret Nielsen loaded the bases with a walk, catcher's inference and a hit-by-pitch. Then, Andrews, Trent Nielsen, and Keene Tanaka stacked three consecutive hits including two doubles to make the score 15-3. Mines' three remaining runs came on a groundball and two outs. Cal State L.A.'s two runs in the bottom of the seventh were purely academic and failed to extend the game.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 1-3 in the all-time series against Cal State L.A.
- Garret Nielsen's home run was his second of the season and third of his career. He also leads the Orediggers this season with a .417 batting average, eight runs, and eight RBI.
- Trent Nielsen hit the first home run of his collegiate career on Sunday.
- Lee earned the third win of his career on the mound and boasts a season ERA of 3.86 in three appearances.
- After his Oredigger debut on Saturday, Shuta Araki made his first start in a Mines uniform on Sunday; at shortstop.
- Mines had nine different individuals notch at least one hit, score at least one run, and tally at least one RBI in Sunday's series finale.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is now 97-66 in his fifth season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines' next action is the conference round-robin running March 3-5. The Orediggers will start at CSU Pueblo on Friday before hosting #23 MSU Denver, Regis, and Colorado Christian in their 2023 home openers on Saturday and Sunday. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network 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.