LAS VEGAS, N.M. - A strong pitching performance and plenty of runs in game two on Sunday helped the Colorado School of Mines softball team come away with a split against N.M. Highlands. The Cowgirls won it in the bottom of the seventh in game one, 11-10, while the Orediggers won convincingly in game two by a score of 10-1 in five innings.
The Orediggers looked as though they would run away with game one scoring four runs in the top of the first as Molly Thiebaut hit a grand slam for her third home run of the season. A Sami Springer RBI single added another run to Mines' total in the second inning.
N.M. Highlands trailed 5-1 but scored five runs in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. The Orediggers answered with a two-out single by Sarah Lustgraaf that scored two runs to make it 7-6 in favor of Mines.
The two teams continued to trade runs as the Cowgirls scored four in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 10-7 heading into the final inning.
A two-RBI triple by Allysia Cisneros and a double by Macy Jones tied the game with just one out but the Orediggers were unable to take the lead and once again a walk off single gave NMHU the win in the bottom of the seventh.
Springer went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Kamee Vessey was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a double. Jones went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two doubles.
Mines put it all together in game two with a strong pitching performance from Ashley Goletz while scoring 10 runs on 10 hits.
The Orediggers scored three times in the third taking advantage of an error and a wild pitch while Paige Coufal drove in the other run.
CSM added three more in the fourth courtesy of RBI singles by Springer and Thiebaut while a third run came around to score on a throwing error by the Cowgirls.
N.M. Highlands got its lone run in the fourth inning on a solo shot but managed just three total hits in the game.
Mines finished it off with another big inning score four in the fifth. Coufal led off with a double and Morgan Anderson brought her home in the next at bat with a RBI triple. Vessey made it 10-1 hitting a three-run shot for her eighth home run of the season.
Goletz picked up her second win of the season improving to 2-5 allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
Coufal finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI. Jones was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a walk and stolen base. Vessey went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI.
The Orediggers (4-11, 1-3 RMAC) will play on the road at CSU-Pueblo beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 3 at 12:00 pm.
