DENVER, Colo. – Alex Honeyman guided Mines baseball to a 6-1 win in its series opener Friday afternoon at Regis.
 
Honeyman (4-2), the Orediggers' starting pitcher, surrendered just one run on five hits across 7.0 innings of baseball against a team ranked #5 in the nation in batting average. He struck out two and walked two with zero wild pitchers or hit batters, using 98 pitches in the winning effort. Kenji Bray sustained Honeyman's effort and finished the game with 2.0 innings of flawless relief. Bray faced six batters and retired six batters thanks to two strikeouts, zero hits, and zero walks. He only needed 22 pitches in the relief appearance.
 
At the plate, Alex Dunagan spearheaded Mines' offense with a two-run home run. Brody Duvall had two hits including a double while scoring once. Tyler Easter also had two hits and scored twice. Ben Leiphart made it a trio of multi-hit performances for the Orediggers. He provided a double as well. Tyler Pina and Tyler Hummel boosted the slugging percentage with one double each. Pina and Leiphart each scored once with RBI apiece and Hummel tacked on one RBI.
 
Mines (13-22, 10-11 RMAC) defeated Regis (13-20-1, 4-11-1 RMAC) for the first time since 2024. The Orediggers earned the win by limiting the Rangers to five hits and a .156 batting average. As previously mentioned, RU entered the game ranked #5 in the nation in batting average. Mines also posted a .306 mark at the plate and slugged .500 thanks to four doubles and one home run. Regis managed one double and four singles for a slugging percentage of .188. The only error of the day was catcher's interference against the home team. The Oredigger pitching staff only walked two batters and the Ranger arms walked three. Strikeout numbers came in at four for the visitors and six for the home team.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Duvall, the first batter of the entire game, started the day with a double. Dunagan was next to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw over the fence. The 2-0 lead was all Mines needed. Honeyman and the Oredigger defense worked through a leadoff walk and a passed ball for a zero in the first inning. They posted another shutout in the second inning after a leadoff single for Regis. The Rangers found their lone run in the bottom of the third inning after a one-out single and a one-out double. There were stacked zeroes on the scoreboard in the fourth inning before Mines' offense came to life again.
 
Leiphart started the fifth frame with a double and eventually scored to make the Oredigger lead 3-1. Easter's leadoff single in the top of the sixth set up an RB-double for Pina. That sparked a two-run inning and eventually chased Regis' starter, the defending RMAC Pitcher of the Week, from the game. The second run of the sixth was Pina crossing the plate on a wild pitch by RU's reliever. In the bottom of the seventh, Regis managed two one-out singles, but Honeyman still needed just 13 pitches to post another zero on the scoreboard. Leiphart's single in the eighth plated Easter for a second time, but it was all academic after Bray retired the Rangers in order – in back-to-back innings.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines is 4-1 in its last five games and sit #4 in the RMAC standings.
- Dunagan hit his fifth home run of the season and 10th of his career.
- Honeyman, now 4-2 on the season and 13-11 in his career is tied for #10 on the Orediggers' all-time wins list.
- Honeyman is also #12 on Mines' all-time list for strikeouts with 136 as a collegian.
- Bray leads the Oredigger pitching staff with 15 appearances in 35 games this season.
- Duvall produced his 17th multi-hit game of the spring on Friday.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is now 172-162 in his eighth season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines and Regis continue their RMAC series Saturday with a noon doubleheader in Denver.
 
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.