KEARNEY, Neb. - The Colorado School of Mines softball team jumped out to 1-0 leads in both games behind strong starting pitching but came up just short as Nebraska-Kearney earned walk-off victories in both games by a score of 2-1.
Mines scored in the third inning of game one as Morgan Anderson and Allysia Cisneros led off with back-to-back singles to start the inning. Macy Jones bunted and moved the runners into scoring position while Sami Springer's sacrifice fly scored the run.
The Orediggers looked to add to the lead in the fourth with runners on second and third and one out but the next two batters flied out and grounded out to end the inning. Mines also left a pair of runners on base in the seventh.
In the seventh, UNK led off with a double and on the next at bat laid down a bunt. An error by the Orediggers allowed the runner to score from second tying the game. Kelly Unkrich got the next two batters to fly out and ground out but with two outs the Lopers came up a single to score the game-winning run.
Unkrich struck out 10 batters marking the fourth time in her career in which she has fanned 10 or more in a game. In 6.2 innings she allowed two unearned runs on four hits with two walks. Cisneros finished the game 2-for-3 both while the other two hits came off the bats of Anderson and Sarah Lustgraaf.
Game two was a low scoring affair as well as the two teams combined for five total hits through the first five innings. Again Mines scored first as Sarah Lustgraaf homered with two outs in the sixth. The Lopers answered sending it to extra innings with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh.
After two quick outs in the eighth, Mines loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by Kamee Vessey and Lustgraaf and walk by Molly Thiebaut. Again the Orediggers left runners on base as the next batter lined out to the pitcher.
The Lopers needed just one batter in the eighth earning their second walk-off win of the day with a solo shot to take game two by a score of 2-1.
Mines managed just four hits in the second game and two of those were off the bat of Lustgraaf the others came from Springer and Vessey.
Ashley Goletz went the distance scattering six hits while allowing two runs, striking out three batters and allowing just one walk.
The Orediggers (9-18, 6-10 RMAC) will finish their four-game series with Nebraska-Kearney tomorrow, Sunday, March 18 with a doubleheader beginning at 10:00 am MST / 11:00 am CST.
