GOLDEN, Colo. - The Colorado School of Mines softball team split a doubleheader with UC-Colorado Springs on Wednesday afternoon as the Mountain Lions took game one by a score of 4-1 while Mines bounced back to take game two, 7-1.
Game one was a battle of pitchers as Kelly Unkrich and Jessica Belsterling matched each other through the first four innings.
Mines got on the board first in the fifth inning as Molly Thiebaut came in to score on Morgan Anderson's RBI ground out.
That would be it for the Orediggers as UCCS scored a pair of runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. Mines finished the game with just two hits in the game.
The Orediggers scored early and often in game two as Mines' 1-2-3 hitters were a combined 8-for-10 in game two. Macy Jones singled up the middle to start the game and Sami Springer drove in Jones with an RBI double. Kamee Vessey followed that up with her 10th home run of the season to give Mines a 3-0 lead.
UCCS threatened with a lead off triple in the second but the Oredigger defense came up with a huge play as third baseman Paige Coufal snagged the ground ball, held the runner at third and Mines turned a 5-4-3 double play.
An error by the Mountain Lions and an RBI double from Cassie Ford extended the Oredigger lead to 5-0 after three innings. Mines took advantage of another miscue in the fourth as Allysia Cisneros reached on an error to start the inning. Vessey singled up the middle scoring two more runs.
The Mountain Lions threatened again putting runners on the corners in the fifth but Jones made a diving catch in left field to end the threat and the inning.
Ashley Goletz improved to 4-6 on the season winning her second consecutive game. In seven innings she allowed just one run on eight hits with 10 strikeouts.
Vessey finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBI. Springer was 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a RBI. Jones went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Orediggers (9-16, 6-8 RMAC) will travel to Kearney, Neb. this weekend for a four-game series against the Lopers on Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18.
