GOLDEN, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team couldn't find it's offense until game two, as they split the Thursday doubleheader with Colorado School of Mines.
INSIDE THE MATCH-UP
- Final Game One: UCCS 0, CSM 8 | Game Two: UCCS 6, CSM 4
- Records: UCCS (22-17, 11-11 RMAC) | CSM (12-31, 7-19 RMAC)
- Facility | Location: Darden Field | Golden, Colo.
- All-Time Series: UCCS trails CSM 13-24 all-time in the programs 37 meetings historically.
HOW IT HAPPENED | Game One
- The Orediggers got the scoring started in the home half of the first inning, as three straight singles brought home Jackson Woolwine home, with Canon Humphreys blasting a three-run home run two batters later to give the Orediggers the 4-0 lead in the opening inning. Jason Fink would come back to strike out Mason Andrews and force a fly-out from Tyler Hummel to end the inning, but UCCS had a hill to climb after their first trip to the field.
- The score would hold until the bottom of the third inning when Colorado School of Mines went back to work, as the first three Orediggers reached on a hit by pitch, single, and fielder's choice to put runners on first and second with one out. Again, it was Humphreys coming through for Mines, this time with a double down the first base line to score Evan Bilter. Mason Andrews followed with a single to right, allowing Tyler Pina to score to push the lead to 6-0. Andrews then stole second, with the Mountain Lions sailing the throw into center to allow Humphrey's to score to upgrade the lead to seven runs. UCCS would work out of the inning with a fly out and ground out to finish the inning down seven.
- The Orediggers added a run in the sixth, but it would be of no consequence as the Mountain Lions were blanked offensively, dropping the series opener 8-0.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME ONE
- Five Mountain Lions combined for six hits with James Harbison being the only UCCS player with a multi-hit performance.
- UCCS went 0-7 with runners in scoring position.
- Peter Lynch (2-3) earns the shutout victory behind six innings of work, as Jason Fink (4-4) takes the loss for UCCS.
HOW IT HAPPENED | GAME TWO
- The Mountain Lions scored first in the nightcap action, as Caleb Chance led off the second inning and lifted a fly ball to center that was dropped. Chance would move into scoring position on the gaff, to put the leadoff runner on second. Caleb Stubbings then singled to second base to move the runners to the corners, setting up a 6-4-3 double play that erased Stubbings at second and Nolan Ackerman at first who produced the grounder. Caleb Chance, however, scampered home on the play with the first run of the game, and the first run of the day for UCCS.
- UCCS went quietly in the third but made some serious noise in the fourth as they put distance between themselves and the Orediggers. Hayden Iverson led the inning off with a double to left, before James Harbison grounded to second to move Iverson to third with one out. After defensive changes for CSM, Caleb Chance threw out an RBI single and stole second, setting up Caleb Stubbings for an RBI single of his own to score Chance. Nolan Ackerman would ground out to short but move Stubbings to second, as Trever Dale singled Stubbings home on the next at bat. Dale remained aggressive on the base paths and stole second, as Quinn Medin doubled to right to score Dale. Bryce Peterson then went down on strikes to end the inning and strand Medin on second, but UCCS collected four runs on five hits in the frame, as they led 5-0 in the middle of the fourth.
- Mines would notch a run in the fifth as three straight singles from Alex Dunagan, Tyler Easter, and Mason Andrews scored the Orediggers first run, but UCCS would respond to get an out on the basepaths before a Jackson Babcock pop out, and an Evan Bilter fly out ended the threat.
- Two Mines errors in the sixth inning allowed another UCCS run to score, but the Orediggers made up for the mistake in the home half of the sixth, combining for 3 runs on four hits. Canon Humphreys led off with a single, with Ben Leiphart doubling to right two batters later to put runners on second and third with one out. Trent Nielsen then walked to load the bases, before Alex Dunagan lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Humphreys from third. Now with two outs and runners on first and second, Tyler Easter singled up the middle to score Leiphart, with Mason Andrews poking one to left to score Nielsen. Jackson Babcock flew out to center to end the inning, but Mines did damage to cut the lead to two at 6-4.
- A lead off hit from UCCS was the only base runner for either team in the seventh, as Joe Plise slammed the door on CSM in the seventh retiring the side in order, giving UCCS the 6-4 game two victory and earning the save.
GAME STATISTICS | GAME TWO
- Caleb Stubbings was a perfect 3-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in game two, as Joe Plise picked up his fifth save of the season for UCCS in relief.
- Ryder Mancuso (4-1) fanned seven Orediggers in five and a third innings on the way to the win, as Will Niles (1-5) drops the loss after just three and a third.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Jason Fink's 10 hits allowed were the most by a pitcher in an outing this season, as his three batters hit tied a season high for UCCS pitchers in a game.
- Kit Wigington needs just seven total bases to break the program record of 399 set in 2021 by Matt McDermott. He is just 4 Walks shy of Walker Rumsey's program record of 68.
UP NEXT
- UCCS and Colorado School of Mines will finish the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 12 p.m. in Golden.
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.
