GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team used a two-run home run from senior Derek Daly to defeat Colorado Christian on Saturday by a score of 5-1 in the 2020 home opener at Jim Darden Field.
 
Daly's final line featured one run on one hit with two RBI and a walk. Alex Bumpus proved most efficient on the team by hitting .750 with one double while scoring once. He was the only Oredigger with multiple hits. Mines' other two hits were also home runs thanks to long balls from Noah Kuzma and Trevor Howard. Kuzma also scored twice and Howard notched two RBI. The remaining offensive production featured walks to Danny McDermott and Jason Hall. McDermott was also hit by a pitch.
 
Tyler Blomster (2-1) started the game on the mound and surrendered no earned runs and just three hits over 8.0 innings. Blomster also struck out eight batters as CCU worked one unearned run across the plate. The Cougars hit just .153 against the righty from Texas. Drew Hill accounted for the final inning and gave up no runs on zero hits with two walks. On the other side, Connor McCollum (0-1) wore the loss for the Cougars.
 
The Orediggers (7-6) only hit .200 as a team but ended their four-game losing streak with three home runs and four hits for extra bases. Colorado Christian (4-5) saw its losing streak extended to three straight games after managing just four hits over nine innings. Colorado Christian's bright spot came in the form of 11 strikeouts on the mound. Overall, Mines' defense committed one error while the pitching staff forced six ground balls and 10 fly outs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The sun came out to play on Saturday afternoon and slowly, but surely, Jim Darden Field dried just enough to play a game of baseball. Mines grabbed the momentum in the early going thanks to a barehanded double play by Blomster in the first inning. After CCU used a leadoff single and stolen base to put a runner on second, Blomster snagged a looping line drive with his right hand. The Texan proceeded to whirl towards second base before jogging forward and flipping the ball to shortstop Caden Bonds to complete the double play.
 
Despite the first-frame heroics on defense, Mines went quietly in the bottom of the opening panel on three strikeouts. The Orediggers would not do the same in the second inning. Kuzma stepped to the plate as the leadoff hitter and worked a one-ball, one-strike count before sending the third pitch over the fence in right-center field. It gave Mines a 1-0 lead that lasted two innings before CCU capitalized on an Oredigger error to even the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth inning. What followed was a defensive stalemate featuring two hits, one walk and a hit batter.
 
By the time the game reached the top of the eighth inning, Blomster needed only six pitches to retire the side in order. It was the bottom half of the same frame where Mines made its move. Colorado Christian worked a quick out to start the inning before Bumpus singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. The Cougars thought they had avoided disaster after striking out the next batter, but proved to be false hope. Derek Daly strolled to the plate and watched two balls out of the zone before sending a high fly ball towards the fence in right-center field. The initial trajectory left many in the stands assuming the ball would be caught at the fence. However, the cool night air, low humidity and possibly a gust of Oredigger spirit sent the ball out of the park for a two-run home run and a 3-1 advantage for Mines. Kuzma followed up with a walk on four consecutive pitches before Howard made it 5-1 with a no-doubt bomb to left field.
 
Two more walks in the eighth inning proved harmless for CCU, but the damage had been done. Hill came out of the bullpen for the final frame and worked with relative effiency. A leadoff walk led to a sharp ground ball to Ben Schoneman who had come off the bench at second base. Schoneman turned to Bonds crossing the bag who made a lightning-quick transfer and gunned the runner down at first for two quick outs. Another walk by Hill was academic as the next batter hit a slow roller to Toby Scoles and first base. The junior fielded it cleanly and stepped on the bag himself to clinch the win.
 
NOTABLES
- Mines has now won four straight home openers at Jim Darden Field.
- The Orediggers are 4-1 against CCU over the last two seasons. Blomster boasts pitching victories in two of those games.
- Blomster owns a career record of 26-7 on the mound which ranks #1 in Mines history and leads all active pitchers in NCAA Division II.
- Derek Daly touts 35 home runs as an Oredigger. He sits #3 on the program's all-time list. This season, Daly has five hits including three home runs and a double.
- Additionally, Kuzma has seven hits in 2020 with four home runs and two doubles.
- As a team, Mines owns 26 home runs through 13 games.
- Bumpus has reached base safely in every game of his career at Mines.
- Robby Bales is 47-21 in two years as the head coach for the Orediggers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines closes its weekend on Sunday with a single game against Colorado Christian starting at 11 a.m. at Jim Darden Field. Live stats and video of the game will be available at www.minesathletics.com.