GOLDEN, CO- The Cougars closed their three-game series at Mines on Sunday with the deciding contest of the series tied 1-1. Led by a six homer performance from the offense, CCU powered their way to a 16-3 run-rule victory over the Orediggers to claim the series victory. 

Lukas Hinze offered some foreshadowing of what was to come as he led off the game with a solo homer to put his team on top early. Mines answered with three runs in the bottom of the second to go ahead, but the lead would be short lived. Brandon de Hondol slashed a solo bomb in the third, and Mason Hagel-Pitt followed with an RBI single to tie the game. 

The surge in the third inning continued with an RBI single from Gregory Rangel, and Zach Valentine broke things open with a massive three-run home run to left field as CCU went up 7-3. They did not stop there as Hagel-Pitt continued his strong day with a run-scoring single in the fourth, and he once again came through with a two-run homer two innings later as the power continued to lead the Cougars to a 10-3 advantage. 

Valentine ended up crossing the plate on a wild pitch to continue a huge sixth, and de Hondol put the icing on the cake as he uncorked a towering three-run home run to make it 14-3. One more ball left the park for the Cougars off the bat of Valentine as he smashed his second homer of the game, a two-run big fly in the eighth as he helped his team run-rule the Orediggers 16-3 to claim the series victory in the non-conference set. 

It was a huge day for the offense as six home runs were blasted by the Cougars. Valentine led the offense with 5 RBI on two homers, followed by de Hondol with 4 RBI and two homers and Hagel-Pitt with 4 RBI and a homer. Hinze smashed a solo bomb as four different players homered in the explosive contest. 

The Cougars will look to ride the momentum from the big win as they start RMAC play at home March 5 with a doubleheader against UCCS at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. MST.