LAKEWOOD – A 23-hit outburst, including three round-trippers, propelled the Colorado School of Mines baseball team to an 18-1 victory over Colorado Christian in the second game of Friday's doubleheader at All-Star Park in Lakewood.
With the win, the Orediggers (22-17, 20-12 RMAC) assured themselves of a spot in the upcoming RMAC Tournament with six games to play. The squad also extended its program-record RMAC win total to 20 in the victory.
Mines has now won 17 of its last 22 contests dating back to a series-opening win over Metro State on March 21.
Olinger (6-2) tied the program's single-season win record after allowing one earned run on four hits in five innings. The southpaw struck out three and walked one over 66 pitches before giving way to junior Brandon Storm, who allowed just two hits over two innings of shutout relief.
The story of the game, however, was Mines' offense, which produced six multi-hit efforts, including a trio of hits for Olinger, senior Charlie Basil, sophomore Ryan Fraley and junior Rey Chavarria.
Olinger was 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in the contest while Basil added a 3-for-4 line with three runs scored and an RBI. Basil moved into fifth on the program's career hit charts with his three-hit effort, giving him 204 hits for his Silver & Blue career.
Fraley ripped three line-drive singles in his five at-bats while knocking in two runs and scoring twice. Chavarria closed out the three players with three-hit efforts after finishing 3-for-5 with two runs scored a three RBI, including his first home run in Mines' seven-run sixth inning.
Junior Shane Johnson hit a solo jack down the right field line in Mines' five-run seventh, and two batters later freshman Connor Lambert hit his first dinger of the season with a two-run shot down the left field line.
Sophomore Josh Martinez finished a healthy 2-for-2 with three runs scored out of the two-hole and classmate Jack Bevan was 2-for-2 with two RBI as well. Logan Smith (1-for-4), Peter Herrin (1-for-1), Cody Marvel (1-for-3, two RBI), Nathan Fishel (1-for-5, run, RBI) and Derek Skrdlant (1-for-2, run) recorded hits as well.
In all, 13 different players collected hits for Mines with 10 of those players driving in runs as well.
The two teams will continue the series tomorrow with a 10 a.m. matchup at D'Evelyn High School in Denver.
