SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Keyan Lundvall and Evan Bilter both hit home runs for Mines baseball Saturday, but host Cal State San Marcos prevailed in the doubleheader, 14-7 and 6-5.  
 
Bilter's long ball bolstered a 4-for-7 day with four RBI and one run. Lundvall's blast was his lone hit of the day and provided him one run and two RBI. Tyler Hummel, Jackson Babcock, and Justin Kubojiri all produced three-hit days across the two games. Kubojiri's trio of knocks were all part of a 3-for-3 effort in game two. Babcock added another double to his early season resume. Alex Piscotty (0-1) and Will Niles were the starters on the mound. Piscotty wore the loss and Niles did not factor in the decision. Piscotty departed after 2.1 innings while Niles went 5.2 with one run on three hits thanks to three strikeouts and just two walks. Dylan Burke (0-1) took the second decision in relief. Brandon Schaff, Matt Potter, Kenji Bray, Joseph Steidel, and Luke Parker all came out of the bullpen as well.
 
Overall, Mines (0-3) had more hits and more home runs than Cal State San Marcos (3-0). However, the Cougars parlayed five Oredigger errors and 17 walks by the pitching stuff into enough runs to make up the difference. Three errors did nag CSUSM, but those were offset by 11 strikeouts compared to six walks across 16 innings for the home arms. The winning pitchers for Cal State San Marcos were PJ Wendler (1-0) and Jack Clark.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game one of the day and the second of the series brought a RBI-single off the bat of Bilter in the first inning which plated Brody Duvall. Cal State San Marcos answered by stacking four runs in the second inning and two more in the third. Pina's two-run single in the fourth pulled Mines within three runs at 6-3. A five-run explosion for the Cougars in the sixth inning was too much for the Orediggers to overcome. They managed two more runs in the eighth inning and two in the ninth thanks to Lundvall's home run, but a pitching change by the home team quickly stemmed the tied and clinched the win.
 
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel. Niles carried a no-hit bid into the fourth inning before it was ended with a leadoff single. Even so, Babcock drove in Kubojiri in the very next frame and afforded Mines a 1-0 lead. A two-out, bases-loaded walk allowed CSUSM to tie the game, 1-1, with one inning to play. Then, Babcock struck again with a two-out, one-run single in the top of the seventh inning. Bilter immediately followed that with a three-run bomb for a 5-1 lead. In the end, Mines only managed one out in the bottom of the seventh as the Cougars pieced together a five-run rally and the walk-off win.
 
NOTABLES
- Lundvall's home run was the first of his collegiate career in just his third game in an Oredigger uniform.
- Bilter notched his first long ball of the season and the seventh of his Mines career.
- Babcock is up to three doubles in three games while hitting .500.
- Jack Magnus came off the bench Saturday to make his collegiate debut. Piscotty, Burke, Potter, and Schaff all played their first games in a Mines uniform as well.
- Bilter now boasts an 11-game hitting streak which dates back to 2025.
- Babcock has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is now 159-143 in his eighth season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines closes its series at Cal State San Marcos with a single, nine-inning game at 12 p.m. PT.  Live video is available with a subscription through FLO College. There will also be free live stats.
 
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.