MINES BASEBALL TOPS NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS, 5-2
Svejcar's Gem Leads CSM to Win in Series Opener

GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines freshman southpaw Michael Svejcar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) threw a complete-game (nine inning), seven hitter to lead the Orediggers to a 5-2 victory over New Mexico Highlands in the opener of a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series on Friday afternoon at CSM Field.

Svejcar allowed just two runs, both earned, walked on and struck out three as he fired his first complete game of the season against a Cowboy team that came into the game as the top hitting team in the RMAC (.361) and featured two of the top five hitters in the conference.

Svejacr outdueld NMHU senior lefthander Justin Munoz who was dealt his first loss (9-1) of the season, after allowing five runs, four earned, on 12 hits. He walked two and fanned one. He entered the game with the third lowest earned run average in the RMAC at 2.81.

NMHU, which is ranked 25th in the latest Division II National Poll, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but CSM (12-26, 4-9 RMAC) freshman catcher Mike Deal (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) delivered a two-run single in the bottom half of the inning to give CSM a 2-1 lead.

After the Cowboys (23-12, 7-5 RMAC) tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the fifth, the Orediggers came back to plate a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning on RBI singles from freshman shortstop Caleb Rudkin (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins) and senior designated hitter Matt Fritzinger (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic).

That would be all the support Svejcar needed as he faced four or fewer NMHU batters in every inning as he was aided by two pickoffs and two double plays.

Rudkin finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Deal went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mike Ramazzotti went 2-for-4 for the Cowboys.

The two teams will continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader slated to begin at 1:00 pm at CSM Field.

-- OREDIGGERS --