GOLDEN, Colo. - Cassie Ford hit a walk-off home run to help the Colorado School of Mines softball team to a split with Regis University on Saturday afternoon. Regis took game one by a score of 2-0 while Ford's three-run shot lifted the Orediggers in game two, 7-4.
Nikki Haberkorn stymied the Mines offense for a second-straight day, marking the first time the Orediggers had been shutout twice in a four-game series since March 7, 2010.
A leadoff triple helped Regis get on the board in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly. The Rangers added their only other run of the game in the fifth inning on a throwing error by the Orediggers.
Mines had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the seventh with two outs but the final batter struck out to end the game.
Kelly Unkrich was solid again on the mound with three strikeouts and one walk while also scattering five hits and one earned run in the game. Kamee Vessey, Allysia Cisneros, Molly Thiebaut and Paige Coufal each collected a hit.
Game two went back and forth as the two teams traded runs through the first five innings. Regis scored first on an RBI triple but Mines quickly tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a Sarah Lustgraaf RBI single.
The Orediggers took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a Morgan Anderson RBI single.
The Rangers added a run in the third to make it 2-2 and Mines answered by scoring two in the bottom of the inning. A Thiebaut single and a bobble by a Regis outfielder allowed Cisneros to come around to score from second. Cassie Ford followed with an RBI double.
Regis would get a run back in the fourth and the fifth inning to tie the game. In the fourth, the Rangers put their first two runners on base with a double and a single. RU's Rachel Illias singled to right field with one out and Natalie Adami looked to be on her way home to score from third but Gianna Duncan made a perfect throw from right field to get Adami by at least two steps at home plate.
Shannon Massine singled scoring a run and with a runner on third Coufal snagged a line drive down the third base line to stop any further threat and end the inning.
Regis took advantage of another Mines error to tie the game in the fifth with no outs. Again the Oredigger defense came up big as Ashley Goletz caught a line drive and doubled off the runner at third and then finished off the inning with a strike out to prevent any further damage.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lustgraaf reached base on an infield single and Thiebaut walked with one out. Ford waited and on an 0-1 count crushed the ball over the fence in left field to give the Orediggers a 7-4 win.
Goletz won her third straight game as she allowed four runs (two earned) on 10 hits with five strikeouts and two walks to improve to 10-7 on the season.
Ford finished the game going 3-for-4 a double, a run scored and four RBI. Anderson went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Lustgraaf finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Orediggers (21-20, 18-12 RMAC) will hit the road for a four-game series at Western New Mexico next weekend beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 14 at 12:00 pm.
