GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Six early runs for the Colorado School of Mines baseball team weren't enough on Saturday as the Orediggers dropped their series opener with Colorado Mesa by a score of 10-6.
Oredigger highlights at the plate came from
I-Ly Hsue,
Mason Andrews, and
Keene Tanaka. Hsue notched two hits, scored one run, and drove in one more. Andrews' lone hit of the day was a three-run home run. He was hit and drew a walk on the way to run more run as well. Tanaka finished 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Also notable were two walks for
Wayne Moeck. On the mound,
Luke Folsom started the game but did not factor in the decision. He gave up five runs on five hits in 4.0 innings and struck out six.
Jackson Bakovich (3-2) took the loss in relief.
Jackson Kay and
Carter Gorling both came out of the bullpen as well. Evan Bunevich was the winning pitcher for CMU.
As a team, Mines (11-8, 4-1 RMAC) scored its six runs on seven hits including a double and a home run. Colorado Mesa (11-8, 4-1 RMAC) notched 10 runs on 10 hits with two doubles and two home runs. The Mavericks also took advantage of one Oredigger error for a pair of unearned runs. Mines' pitching staff struck out seven batters and walked seven. For CMU, two arms combined for six strikeouts compared for four walks. Mesa was also error-free in the field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In their very first trip to the plate, the Orediggers loaded the bases and scored two runs thanks to three straight hit batters and a
Trent Nielsen groundball. Colorado Mesa kept base in the home half of the opening frame thanks to a hit batter and a two-out double. Mines scored its own two-out runs in the top of the second inning when Andrews sent a three-run bomb just inside the right-field foul pole. That brought in Tanaka and Moeck, making the score 5-1. Still, the Mavericks kept pace with their own two-run home run in the bottom of the same inning. Tanaka doubled in the fourth and scored on Woolwine's two-out single. However, the 6-3 margin only lasted one inning.
Colorado Mesa rallied back with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth frame to take a 7-6 lead. Then, Mines' bats went quiet and CMU put four straight zeroes on top line of the scoreboard. The home team added insurance by hitting a solo home run in the seventh. The Orediggers' made a two-out threat in the top of the eighth, but couldn't capitalized. A two-run error in the bottom of the eighth favored the Mavericks and made the final tally.
NOTABLES
- Mines and Colorado Mesa are now tied for first in the RMAC standings.
- The Orediggers still sit 11-3 over their last 14 games.
- Andrews' home run was his sixth of the season and 27th of his career. He's now tied with former teammate
Danny McDermott (2019-23) for career home runs in Mines' record book.
- Andrews also extended his hitting streak to nine games.
- Bakovich had previously gone 12.1 innings without surrendering an earned run.
- Moeck's two walks at CMU moved him to 57 free passes for his career. That's tied with Mikey Gangwish (2016-19) for #12 in the program record book.
- One double for
Luke Folsom on Monday has tied him with Logan Smith for #4 on the Orediggers' career doubles list. They both tout 49 doubles in their respective careers.
- Woolwine has reached base safely in every game this season.
- Oredigger Head Coach
Robby Bales is 128-93 in his sixth season leading Mines.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines continues its series at Colorado Mesa with doubleheader on Sunday starting at 1 p.m. stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
Fans can keep up with Mines baseball on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @OrediggersBSB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.
