Baseball blasts way to first series victory of season

After an 11-4 victory Friday night in which junior righty Eric Shannon pitched five solid innings in his first college start, Mines continued their offensive success against the Adams State Grizzlies in their Saturday double header at Darden Field.

Sophomore righty Ben Gilman threw five innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits while fanning seven batters. Freshman Brett Kovach and sophomore Corky Patton finished off the Grizzlies batters in the final two innings, allowing only one hit.

Mines batters pounced on Grizzlies pitching all afternoon, and started in the first with a Bobby Egeberg single, Nate Olinger double to score Egeberg, and Jordan Williams home run to left center that scored Olinger. Mines scored four runs in the second, at which point they led 7-0, but it was the 8-run third and fourth innings that drove the nail in the coffin. The CSM offense batted around in both innings, but Adams State committed two errors in each. Bobby Egeberg capped off the offensive explosion in the fourth with a three-run homer to left center.

The final score in the first game was 23-1 in the Mines rout of Adams State, but they were not finished yet. The Orediggers would score 17 runs on 15 hits in the second game, this time with Adams State only committing one error.

Mines’ big inning of the second game was the first, which consisted of RBI singles by Olinger and Williams, a walk which drove in a run, a hit batsman which drove in a run, a sacrifice fly by Travis Ramos, and Egeberg doubling down the right field line, driving two in. Mines scored 3 in the second, 4 in the third, and another 3 in the fourth to cap off their offense-filled day.

Blake Dunham took the ball for the Orediggers for the first four innings, allowing four earned runs (two unearned scored) on 11 hits with two strikeouts. Luckily, the offense provided enough cushion for Dunham to pick up his fourth win of the season. Freshman lefty Michael Tanner and sophomore righties Brad Touhey and Brady Smith closed out the final three innings of the 17-7 victory, combining for one run allowed and clinching the series victory.

Mines will make up a game versus Colorado Christian Tuesday, then face CSU-Pueblo in a four game set on the road.