GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs scored two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4, but a walk-off home run in the 10th inning by Colorado School of Mines (30-20) sent the Mountain Lions to the elimination bracket in a 5-4 decision in the opening round of the 2017 RMAC Tournament. UCCS (22-26) will face Regis at noon on Thursday.
Zach Hall started the game with a solo home run to make it an early 1-0 lead, and
Colin Cicere allowed only one hit through the first three innings. The Mountain Lions expanded their lead with a triple from
Brant Chapin that scored
Matthew McDermott in the top of the fourth, but Mines took the lead at 3-2 with three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Mines opened a 4-2 lead in the sixth after a leadoff double turned into a run on a single with the next batter. Hall scored his second run of the day in the seventh on a two-out single from RMAC Freshman of the Year
Colin Ludwig, and the Mountain Lions tied the game after
Bryan Chapin's single scored
Tyler Matheny on the next play.
The Mountain Lions turned a double play to end the seventh, and both teams went down in order in the eighth as the game remained in a 4-4 tie into the ninth inning. The Orediggers led off the ninth with a double, but
Joe Slocum ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts as the game went to extra innings. UCCS couldn't put a runner on base in the top of the tenth, and after a fly out to center field, Mines used a walk-off home run to left field to claim the 5-4 decision.
Hall finished three-for-five and scored two runs for the third time in the last four games. Ludwig went three-for-four in his first three-hit game since March 26. Chapin extended his hitting streak to 22 games with the RBI single. Cicere finished with six strikeouts in his seven-inning start and Slocum added three strikeouts in relief.
The Mountain Lions will take on Regis in an elimination game after the Rangers lost 8-3 to Colorado Mesa late tonight. UCCS and Regis went 3-3 during the regular season.