GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo dropped both ends of a key Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheader here Saturday afternoon to Colorado School of Mines at Jim Darden Field.
 
The ThunderWolves opened the doubleheader with a 10-5 setback and then suffered a 4-2 defeat in the nightcap.
 
With the two setbacks, the Pack fall to 17-10 overall and 6-5 in the RMAC, while Mines improved to 13-12 overall and 6-5 in the RMAC. The Pack and Mines are now tied for fourth place in the league standings.
 
The two teams will conclude the four-game weekend RMAC series with a single nine inning game on Sunday, March 24. First pitch for Sunday's finale is set for 12 p.m. at Jim Darden Field.
 
GAME 1 | Mines 10, CSU Pueblo 5
The Pack entered the bottom of the sixth inning of Saturday's opener holding a 4-3 lead, but the Orediggers sent 12 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and scored seven runs to take a 10-4 lead. The Pack would take advantage of two walks, a wild pitch, a single and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) in the top of the seventh to cap the scoring.
 
CSU Pueblo was outhit 10-6 in the opener, but the Pack left six runners on base and allowed seven stolen bases to Mines in the setback.
 
Junior second baseman Kade Snodgrass (Derby, Kan./Neosho County CC) and sophomore catcher Cody Macias (San Diego, Calif./Granite Hills) each had two hits and combined to score three runs as Snodgrass scored twice in the game. Borjas recorded two RBI in the game.
 
The Pack got on the scoreboard first in Saturday's opener as Snodgrass led off the game with a single and reached third on the play thanks to a fielding error in center by Mines' centerfielder Wayne Moeck. Snodgrass would score the first run on a passed ball by Mines catcher Keene Tanaka.
 
Mines, though, came right back in the bottom of the first and scored two runs, including scoring one of those runs on an error by Macias. The second run scored on an RBI single by Jackson Woolwine.
 
The Pack tied the game in the top of the third on an RBI bunt single by sophomore centerfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West). Sanchez's bunt plated Macias from third after he lead off the inning with a single.
 
CSU Pueblo took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Macias that score junior first baseman Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./Southern Nevada), who was hit by a pitch to open the inning.
 
Mines retied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a single, a stolen base, a fly out and a sacrifice fly off junior hurler Travis Farrell (Las Vegas, Nev./Otero JC), who started on the mound for the Pack.
 
The Pack came right back and retook the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by Borjas, which plated Snodgrass with an unearned run after reaching on an error to open the frame. Two of the Pack's five runs were unearned thanks to three errors in the game by the Orediggers.
 
Mines would then rally to plate seven runs on five hits and a Pack error to take a 10-4 lead after six innings. The big hits in the inning were a 2-run single by Tanaka and a two-run double by Canon Humphreys.
 
In the seventh, the Pack scored a run thanks to Borjas' sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.
 
Mines got two hits each from Woolwine, Evan Bilter and Trent Nielsen and two runs each from Mason Andrews and Bilter.
 
Farrell pitched 4.1 innings in his sixth start of the season as he allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), while striking out five and walking one.
 
Freshman Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) took the loss (1-1) as he pitched 0.2 innings and allowed two hits and four runs (three earned), while walking two and striking out none.
 
Alex Honeyman (3-2) picked up the win for the Orediggers as he tossed six innings and allowed five hits and four runs (two earned), while striking out seven and walking none.
 
GAME 2 | Mines 4, CSU Pueblo 2
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, the Pack offense was held to just three hits and a season low two runs which both came in the fourth inning.
 
In fact, all the scoring came in just two innings as the Pack scored two runs in the fourth and Mines scored all four of their runs in the fifth inning.
 
Mines finished with just six hits, including four hits in their four-run fifth inning.
 
Both teams each recorded a hit in the second inning as senior leftfielder Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) recorded his first hit of the series with a one-out single to center.
 
Mines' first hit came in the bottom of the second was a lead-off single by Luke Folsom but was erased later in the inning on a double play.
 
The Pack would finally dent the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth as Stone drew a one-out walk and scored later in the inning thanks to a 2-run homer by junior third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest). The homer was the second of the season for Howard and 42nd of the season for the Pack.
 
Mines would use four hits to score four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. The go-ahead runs came on a 2-run homer by Humphreys off sophomore pitcher Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection), who made his second straight start for the Pack.
 
In the top of the seventh, the Pack put some pressure on the Orediggers as they put two runners on base with two outs after senior Cole Knightley (Solvang, Calif./Santa Ynez) drew a walk as a pinch hitter and then Sanchez delivered a single to put runners on first and third. Borjas stepped to the plate as the go-ahead run, but he ended the game as Jackson Bakovich, who was the second pitcher of the game for Mines, forced him to ground out to second.
 
Ruby (1-1) took the loss on the mound for the Pack as he tossed 4.1 innings and allowed six hits and four runs, while striking out four. Junior Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway) pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in relief and did not allow a hit and recorded a strikeout.   
 
Bakovich (4-3) earned the win in relief of Mines starter Ben Schoneman as he tossed three innings and allowed one hit and no runs, while walking one and striking out two. Schoneman pitched four innings and allowed two hits and two runs, while walking four and striking out four.
 
The Pack left seven runners on base in the nightcap and turned two double plays. Mines left just one runner on base in the nightcap.