HAYS, Kan. – A two-run eighth inning Sunday halted Mines baseball in its pursuit of a series sweep as the Orediggers dropped the finale to Fort Hays State, 4-2, at Larks Park.
Brody Duvall had one hit and scored both Oredigger runs.
Jackson Babcock and
Alex Dunagan notched two hits apiece with Babcock accounting for both RBI.
Evan Bilter and
Tyler Hummel provided base knocks as well.
Alex Freund laid down a pair of sacrifice bunts.
Matt Potter was the starter on the mound for Mines (2-9), but took a no-decision despite 3.0 innings of one-run, two-hit baseball featuring five strikeouts and one walk.
Joseph Steidel (0-2) wore the loss in relief.
Alex Piscotty,
Matthew Turner,
Dillon Alcouffe,
Grant Reising,
Jackson Kay, and
Luke Parker all came out of the bullpen as well. Cody Bruss (1-1) provided Fort Hays State (3-7) a complete-game victory on the mound. He struck out four and walked one.
As a team, the Orediggers scored their two runs on seven hits, but committed two errors in the field. The Tigers scratched out four runs on three hits and also committed two errors. Mines failed to hit over .250 for the game, but its pitching staff limited FHSU to a .111 average at the plate. A double and a home run for the home team were the only extra-base hits on the day. There were a total of 12 walks and 11 strikeouts. The Oredigger arms had seven of those walks but struck out 10. Fort Hays State, as referenced above, used one pitcher who walked one and struck out four on 118 pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Sunday finales in NCAA Division II baseball are typically high-scoring affairs. However, this contest quickly turned into a defensive battle and a pitchers' duel with offense coming at a premium. Fort Hays State scored first with a solo home run in the second inning. Mines matched that in the fourth as Babcock drove in Duvall after a leadoff single. The Tigers made it 2-1 after the seventh-inning stretch due to an error, two walks, and two wild pitches. That run was unearned. The Orediggers responded again in the eighth inning, taking advantage of a FHSU error which put Duvall on first to start the inning. A Freund bunt and a Babcock single knotted the game at 2-2. But, in the bottom of the eighth inning, miscues piled up for the visitors and Fort Hays State parlayed those into a two-run frame and a 4-2 lead. The Oredigger bats had no answer during their last chance in the ninth.
NOTABLES
- Since 2015, Mines is 14-5 against Fort Hays State, and the Orediggers have won three of the four series during that same span.
- The Orediggers have won 10 of their last 11 meetings with the Tigers and three of the last four series.
- Potter, a redshirt freshman, matched the longest outing on the mound of his young career with his best results thus far.
- Piscotty's Sunday appearance included 2.0 no-hit, scoreless innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
- Turner, Alcouffe, Reising, Kay, and Parker all posted 0.00 ERAs in the game while that group surrendered just one total hit.
- Babcock has recorded multiple hits in nine of 11 games so far this season.
- Dunagan and Hummel each boast 10-game hitting streaks and both have reached base safely in every game this year.
- Head Coach
Robby Bales is now 161-149 in his eighth season at the helm.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines has next weekend off before hosting a non-conference series against Colorado Christian Feb. 27 – March 1.
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.
