COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team made a late game push to come up just shy against No. 25 Colorado School of Mines at a final score of 11-10 in game four of the series. Sunday's game also represented senior day for the Mountain Lions as they honored seniors Cam Aufderheide, Colin Cicere, Eric Neeley, Cody Norton, and Joe Slocum.

In what was a windy day at Mountain Lion Park, both teams took advantage of the high gusts by hitting a combined nine home runs in the ball game. The laser show was highlighted by freshman Michael Bennin who went yard three times to record a team high five RBI, finishing 4-for-5 on the day, and becoming the first Mountain Lion to hit three home runs in a single game in the program's short history. Junior Matt McDermott matched Bennin with a 4-for-5 day of his own as he added a home run and two RBI.

The Orediggers plated the first runs of the game with an opposite field three-run home run in the top of the first inning to grab an early 3-0 lead.

UCCS and CSM kept each other scoreless in the second and third innings, as the Mountain Lions grabbed their first runs of the game in the home half of the fourth. The Orediggers added a run in the top half of the fourth to increase their lead to 4-0, but one swing of the bat from Bennin cut into the CSM lead 2-4.

Colorado School of Mines kept the pressure on by tacking on three runs in the fifth and two runs in the seventh to bump their lead to 9-2 through seven innings of play.

Heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mountain Lions were not ready to call it quits as they chipped away at the CSM lead by bringing three runs across. Senior Cody Norton got the inning going for UCCS by singling through the left side, bringing Bennin to the plate. Sitting with a 1-0 count, Bennin loaded back and drove the next pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run, and his second of the game. One batter later, McDermott jumped on the first pitch of the at-bat to send a ball deep over the right field fence for an opposite field home run, and shorten the Mines lead to 5-9.

CSM was able to get two of those runs back in the top of the ninth after a home run and a suicide squeeze bunt brought their lead to 11-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Mountain Lions battled back to make things interesting. Matt Berg led off the inning with a walk, to then be advanced to second by a Jake Anderson single through the left side. With runners on first and second, no outs, head coach Dave Hajek called for the pinch-hitting Ryan Schmidt who answered with a three-run home run, making the score 11-8. After a CSM pitching change, the Orediggers retired the next two batters to come within one out of ending the game, as the power hitting Bennin came to the plate. As he did earlier in the game, Bennin made CSM pay once again by sending a long fly ball to left center field that easily cleared the fence for a solo shot, now making the score 11-9. After getting down to a quick 0-2 count, Walker Rumsey came back with a nice piece hitting by driving a ball down the right field line for a stand up double. The UCCS double with two outs led to some defensive changes that brought in a new pitcher and catcher for Mines. Not fazed by the changes, McDermott came through clutch for the Mountain Lions by singling to left field and scoring Rumsey to bring the game within one run.

Unfortunately, the rally stopped with the five-run ninth inning as the Mountain Lions put up eight runs in the last two innings to just come up short.

UCCS (27-19, 19-13 RMAC) has notched their third straight RMAC Tournament Appearance as they remain fifth in the conference standings. The Mountain Lions can still move up to as high as number two in the standings as they wrap up the regular season with a four game series against Colorado State University-Pubelo. First game is set for Thursday, May 2 at 6 p.m. inside CSUP Rawlings Complex.