GOLDEN, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team finishes the 2024 season with a doubleheader split with Colorado School of Mines.
INSIDE THE MATCH UP
- Final Game One: UCCS 15, CSM 4 | Final Game Two: UCCS 5, CSM 12
- Records: UCCS (16-32, 13-19 RMAC) | CSM (27-19, 20-12 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Jim Darden Field | Golden, Colo.
- All-Time Series: The Mountain Lions all-time record vs the Orediggers moves to 11-22.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME ONE
- For the first time in the series the Mountain Lions struck first in game three, with the second inning owning the opening run in all three games. Caleb Stubbings opened the inning at the dish, reaching on an error at shortstop. Evan Steinberger followed with a walk, which set up three straight singles from Aaron Jenkins, Vander Hodges, and Colton Trudeau. Hodges' slash brought in two and Trudeau's knock produced a third run for UCCS, as they held a healthy 3-0 after two rounds to the plate.
- The Orediggers went quietly in their first two offensive opportunities, and UCCS came back to the batter's box in the third and picked up right where they left off in the second. The first two UCCS hitters reached for the second straight inning, with Kit Wigington leading off with a single to deep third with Alec Gomez walking right behind him. Caleb Stubbings did a job as the third batter flying out but moving Wigington to third, with Steinberger finishing the process with a single to right to bring Wigington home as the fourth run. After Jenkins was set down swinging, Vander Hodges singled up the middle to bring home Steinberger and Gomez, giving the Mountain Lions a commanding 6-0 lead headed to the bottom of the third.
- The Mountain Lions continued their march of offense in the sixth inning, with Dillon Vroman's lead off solo jack. Hayden Iverson followed, reaching on a hit by pitch, stealing second, then moving up to third on Alec Gomez's fly out after Kit Wigington walked. A passed ball brought Iverson in, with Wigington moving into scoring position at second. UCCS threatened for more in the inning but couldn't capitalize, bringing the 8-0 lead back to defense.
- After throwing five innings of one hit baseball on 57 pitches, Jason Fink began to struggle for the first time in the sixth. A one out double and his first walk of the outing seemed to shake Fink, with the Orediggers earning two more hits before the inning was out, helped along by a throwing error from UCCS. Four runs were plated for Mines in the frame to cut the lead in half, with Fink returning to the dugout after throwing 29 pitches in the sixth alone.
- The Mountain Lions picked up their pitcher, going right back on the offensive charge in the seventh. Before the Orediggers were able to record two outs, UCCS tallied five runs on four hits and an error. Hayden Iverson, Kit Wigington, Alec Gomez and Evan Steinberger all had singles during that stretch as Caleb Stubbings reached on the CSM error, with Vander Hodges, Colton Trudeau, Iverson, Wigington and Gomez plating the five runs. Aaron Jenkins finally recorded the second out on a grounder to second, but it would go down as a sacrifice with Stubbings scoring on the ball in play. Hodges struck out in his second at bat of the frame to end the push, as UCCS then owned a 14-4 lead.
- Hunter Owens relieved Jason Fink to begin the bottom of the seventh, ending Fink's day with six innings of work. Fink allowed four runs with three going down as earned, four hits, one walk and seven punchouts. Owens came on and worked a one-two-three bottom of the seventh, as UCCS tightened their strangle on the hosts.
- Evan Steinberger tacked on a run in the ninth with his seventh home run of the year, making the lead 11 at 15-4. The Mountain Lions went quietly otherwise with three outs left to play in the contest. In the bottom of the ninth Joshua Zotto took the mound for UCCS, Zotto allowed a one out base hit but followed with a game clinching 6-4-3 ground ball double play to give UCCS the game three victory.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Jason Fink turned in his second consecutive win, going 6 innings, with just three earned runs, and a season high seven strikeouts.
- Vander Hodges led all batters with four RBIs, with Steinberger leading the way with three hits and three runs scored.
- Dillon Vroman (6) and Evan Steinberger (7) each had home runs in the game, both were solo homers.
- Fink (3-5) grabs his third win of the year, with Weston Siefken (2-3) suffering the loss for Mines.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- As was true in the first three games of the series, the first run of the finale was scored in the second inning of game four with Tyler Richardson blasting the third pitch he saw over the fence in left. The Mountain Lions 2-0 lead would be short lived, however, as the Orediggers enjoyed a solo home run, an RBI double, then a three-run home run in the bottom half of the inning, controlling a 5-2 lead after two.
- In the fourth, UCCS added a run on Joe Plise's RBI single scoring Alec Gomez, but again, Mines was quick to respond with Mason Andrews' two run shot off Jordan Brown, making the lead four at 7-3.
- The Orediggers kept the offense coming in the fifth, this time with the help of defensive miscues from UCCS, allowing Wayne Moeck to score on a wild pitch, with Trent Nielsen also scoring on an Alec Gomez fielding error.
- Joe Plise added to his offensive production for UCCS in the sixth with his second RBI knock of the game. This time he singled to left to plate Liam Whalen and Caleb Stubbings, pulling the Mountain Lions within four at 9-5.
- Unfortunately for UCCS, for the third time in the game, Mines matched UCCS scoring two on Wayne Moeck's double, with Moeck advancing to third on a UCCS throwing error in left field. Two batters later, Tyler Pina doubled just over the head of Dillon Vroman in right, bringing Moeck home and pushing the lead to seven for the Orediggers.
- The Mountain Lions went in order in the seventh to close the season with the 12-5 loss in Golden.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
- The first four pitchers to hit the mound for UCCS all gave up two or more runs.
- Alex Honeyman struggled against the final batters he faced in the game but struck out five Mountain Lions in his five and two thirds innings.
- James Boeree (1-1) suffers the loss for UCCS, with Alex Honeyman (6-3) grabbing the final win of the regular season for CSM.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Jason Fink ties Marko Sipila for the most wins of the season for UCCS pitchers at three. Fink also moves ahead of Sipila for the best ERA of UCCS pitchers with more than one start with his 5.96 earned run average.
- UCCS finished the season with 16 wins, the lowest win total in program history for a full season, with their 13 conference victories going down as the second lowest for full campaign. (2023 had 12 conference wins.)
- This is the second straight season that UCCS will not play in the postseason.
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 14 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
