GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team completed its series sweep of New Mexico Highlands thanks to a 27-7, run-rule win and an extra-innings, 7-6, walk-off victory in a Sunday doubleheader at Jim Darden Field.
 
I-Ly Hsue and Mason Andrews were the heroes in the series-finale, walk-off win. Hsue hit a leadoff double and Andrews eventually drove him in. In that game alone, Hsue was 2-for-2 with a double and a home run, scoring twice and driving in one. For the day, Hsue batted .600, slugged 1.400, scored four times and drove in one run. Andrews' doubleheader resume featured a .600 average, four runs on six hits, one triple, and four RBI. Overall, Jackson Woolwine was Mines' top bat in the twin bill. He hit .800, scored five runs, tallied six RBI, and notched a double. Right behind Woolwine was Adam Houghtaling who put together a .714 batting average which resulted in four runs on three doubles with two RBI. Also notable out of numerous outstanding performances on offense were home runs off the bats of Garret Nielsen and Trent Nielsen.
 
On the mound, Ben Schoneman (2-2) started game one of the day and earned the win. He produced 4.0 innings of work and gave up four runs on four hits while striking out three and walking three. Rodney Gregg provided an inning of flawless relief in game one as well with Weston Siefken and Nicholas Spidel also coming out of the bullpen. Alex Honeyman started the series finale but did not factor in the decision. He left the game after recording two outs. Matthew Dobberthien (1-0) was the pitcher of decision after providing 1.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. He surrendered zero runs on zero hits with zero walks and one strikeout. Jackson Bakovich and Rodney Gregg bridged the gap from Honeyman to Schoneman. That duo combined to spin 6.0 innings featuring one run on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
 
Sunday's doubleheader sweep helped Mines (13-15, 9-7 RMAC) extend its winning streak to five games and gave the Orediggers their first series sweep of the season. New Mexico Highlands (2-27, 1-11 RMAC) was swept in a four-game series for the fifth time in 2023. Mines' day was fueled by a team batting average of .486 with a combined slugging percentage of .792 thanks to 11 doubles, one triple, and three home runs. The Cowboys did hit .349 as a team, but walked 10 batters, hit five more, and committed four errors on defense. The Oredigger hitters handed the NMHU pitching staff a 22.15 ERA for the day after scoring 34 runs on 35 hits with 32 RBI. Mines' pitching staff struck out 13 and only walked five in 15.0 innings of work.
 
GAME ONE: Mines 27, New Mexico Highlands 7 (7 innings)
Garret Nielsen hit an opposite-field home run in the bottom of the first inning. Taigo Sato provided NMHU a solo home run in the top of the second inning. That tied the score at 1-1. What followed was all Orediggers. Luke Folsom's three-run double highlighted nine runs in the bottom of the third. Seven more runs in bottom of the sixth were sparked by back-to-back doubles from Collin Kringlen and Danny McDermott. While the Cowboys did manage three runs in the fourth frame, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh, it was all academic as Mines tied the program record for runs in a game. Spidel closed it out with two strikeouts in the visitor's half of the seventh inning.
 
GAME TWO: Mines 7, New Mexico Highlands 6 (8 innings)
The Cowboys of New Mexico Highlands entered the second game of the day and the series finale having been outscored in the series by a margin of 58-10. They did not care. The visitors stacked up five runs in the first inning thanks to a single, double, and home run. Mines' response in its first trip to the plate included Houghtaling doubling in Woolwine and McDermott driving in Garret Nielsen. Even so, NMHU used another home run in the second to take a 6-2 lead. That advantage held strong through the next four innings despite multiple rockets off Oredigger bats which were knocked down by the wind blowing in from left field. In the final scheduled inning, New Mexico Highlands notched a double and advanced on a wild pitch, but no runs scored. The home team came to the plate trailing 6-2 and did not disappoint.
 
Hsue's first at-bat of the game was a leadoff home run. Trent Nielsen made it back-to-back jacks with an absolute, no-doubter to left field. Singles from Andrews and Houghtaling sandwiched the Cowboys' first out of the inning. Then, McDermott's one-out double scored Andrews, put Houghtaling on third base, and cut Mines' deficit to 6-5. Folsom was intentionally walked to load the bases. What followed was a groundball from Bonds that looked to be a double play to end the inning, but NMHU bobbled the play. Houghtaling scored and the RBI-fielder's choice tied the game, 6-6. The Cowboys earned the final out, but they had gone to their bullpen and the damage was done.
 
The first extra inning started with two groundballs and strikeout by Dobberthien. Hsue opened the bottom of the eighth with a double. Trent Nielsen was intentionally walked. New Mexico Highlands came in on bunt defense against Andrews, but the move backfired when he took a 2-0 pitch to left field to plate Hsue and win the game.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 7-3 in its last 10 meetings with New Mexico Highlands.
- The Orediggers also swept the Cowboys in the regular-season, four-game series in 2020 and 2019.
- No other Mines baseball team has scored more than 27 runs in a single game. The Orediggers have scored 27 runs in a game three times. The last instance was at CSU Pueblo on April 14, 2019.
- The Orediggers' 25 RBI in game one on Sunday also tied the program record for RBI in a single game. Mines recorded 25 RBI at CSU Pueblo on April 14, 2019.
- Woolwine's six RBI in game one on Sunday marked the second-most RBI in a single game of any Oredigger ever.
- Rodney Gregg came out of the bullpen twice on Sunday. He surrendered zero runs on three hits with four strikeouts and zero walks in 4.1 innings of work featuring just 45 pitches.
- Dobberthien recorded the first win of his Oredigger career just one week after earning his first save in a Mines uniform.
- Hsue hit his second home run of the season and ninth of his career. He also boasts 30 doubles as an Oredigger.
- Garret Nielsen touts eight home runs and 42 RBI in 28 games with Mines. He has recorded multiple RBI in 13 of those games.
- Trent Nielsen hit his sixth home run of the season and of his collegiate career.
- Folsom notched a double on Sunday. That moved him to 41 for his collegiate career, tying the junior with Joe Popp and Connor Lambert for #8 on Mines' all-time list.
- Andrews' triple was his third of the season and fifth of his career.
- Danny McDermott has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.
- Collin Kringlen made his collegiate debut on Sunday and hit a double that was nearly a home run to the deepest part of Jim Darden Field, over 400 feet from home plate.
- For the weekend, Mines hit .482 as a team and slugged .788 thanks to 25 doubles, one triple, and five home runs.
- Through four games, the Orediggers outscored New Mexico Highlands, 66-29, and posted a staff ERA of 4.34 thanks to 29 strikeouts compared to nine walks in 29.0 innings.
- Head Coach Robby Bales improved to 108-75 in his fifth season leading the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines has a short turnaround before its next action. The Orediggers head to Alamosa, Colo., for a four-game series at Adams State starting on Thursday. 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.