Baseball Splits Against CSU-Pueblo

It was perfect weather for baseball all week, but a forecast for snow altered the schedule to contain two double headers on Friday and Saturday. The Orediggers won a game each day, resulting in the series split: 13-8 win and 5-2 loss Friday, then 8-3 loss and 3-1 win Saturday. The split takes CSM’s record to 16-17 overall, with 14-12 in conference play.

{gallery}1314/i23/baseball{/gallery}The scoring on Friday began on a Thunderwolves error in the bottom of the second, sending junior third baseman Josh Martinez across the plate, and was shortly followed by freshman Logan Smith tripling, scoring seniors Derek Skrdlant and Evan Brown. CSU-Pueblo responded by scoring three runs in the top of the third and tying the game up, but Mines would take the lead for good in the fourth inning on sophomore Nate Olinger’s double that scored Smith and Brown. Junior Ben Gilman took the mound for the first game, and pitched six innings, giving up three earned runs (five total) on eleven hits, walking two but striking out six. Freshman Nathan Smythe picked up his first save of the year by pitching the final three innings of the game. The offense provided plenty of insurance, scoring four in the fifth and three in the seventh, with Smith, Martinez, Brown, and Skrdlant all going three-for-five, and Olinger driving in five runs, tying a career high.

Despite a decent outing from Nate Olinger on the mound in the evening game, Mines ended up losing 5-2. Olinger fanned ten Thunderwolves while only walking one and giving up three runs on six hits. Nate Olinger, Zach Bothwell, Cody Marvel, and Smith led the offense, though all Oredigger hits went for singles.

On the hill for the opening game Saturday, sophomore Christian Rooney got roughed up early, allowing six runs in the second inning, and Mines would not be able to catch up. Nick Vitulli came out of the pen and gave up a couple runs, but James Wurster, Brandon Storm, and Will Phillips closed out the game with scoreless innings. Mines’ offense was provided by Charlie Basil’s RBI double to left center field that scored two in the sixth, and Rey Chavarria’s single in the eighth.

For the series finale, sophomore Tommy Rodgers put forth a great pitching effort for his fourth win of the season, and a complete game. Rodgers gave up one run on five hits, and struck out three, and of his 99 pitches thrown, 64 were for strikes. Offensively, Zach Bothwell was the driving force, driving in two runs in the sixth inning on a single to left. Olinger went two-for-three, and Basil and Skrdlant added hits as well.

Mines will host Regis next, with evening games Thursday and Friday, and a double header Saturday.