Austin Unrein led the Tigers with three hits on the day, finishing 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, a double and a home run. Connor Ross has three hits as well, going 3-for-5. The Tigers’ team-leader in RBI was Cooper Langley (2-for-5), who drove in four and had a double and a home run. Kevin Czanecki (two RBI), Gus Strunk (two RBI), Nick Hammeke (two RBI) and Andre Vieyra also had doubles for the Tigers while Czarnecki also hit his first home run of the season.
On the mound, Tyler Patty started the game and threw into the fifth, giving up nine runs (six earned) on seven hits while striking out six. Will Amen threw the remainder of the fifth, allowing one run (earned) with two strikeouts and two walks, while Ty Thomas (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs in 0.2 innings off three hits. Kyle Vogt threw the final 3.2 innings of play, giving up two more runs (both unearned) with four strikeouts.
FHSU fell behind 4-0 through the first 2.5 innings, but stormed back with six runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-4 lead. With one out, Hammeke doubled to right before taking third on Caleb Cherryholmes‘ single up the middle. Strunk followed with a double to right center to score two, coming home himself on Unrein’s home run to right in the next at-bat. Czarnecki and Langley continued the rally with back-to-back doubles to score Czarnecki, and after Connor Ross reached on a single, both runners moved up on an error – which allowed Langley to score.
After CSM struck with three runs of its own in the top of the fourth, FHSU with another three, coming on Langley’s two-out, three-run blast. After Unrein doubled and Czarnecki walked, Langley took a 1-0 pitch over the center field wall for his third home run of the season, knotting the game at 9-all.
From there, however, the Tigers’ bats were held quiet as the Orediggers built up a 16-9 lead over the next 3.5 innings. In the bottom of the eighth, FHSU scored three, but it was too late for the Tigers as CSM held on for the win. Unrein led off the eighth with a walk, scoring on Czarnecki’s home run to left in the next at-bat. With one out, Ross doubled to left and took third on a Casey Sedbrook groundout. During Vieyra’s at-bat, Ross came home on a wild pitch to close out the Tigers’ scoring.
For Colorado Mines, Clark Martin (1-0) earned the win after throwing a scoreless fifth inning and Connor Lambert was credited with the save, tossing the final four innings. Lambert and Shane Johnson each had four RBI for the Orediggers, who hit a combined five home runs in the game.
FHSU heads to Wichita, on Wednesday for another midweek game, taking on Newman at 3 p.m.