GOLDEN – Aided by sixth-inning home runs from juniors Sami Springer and Courtney Derus, NFCA 13th-ranked and No. 1-seeded Colorado School of Mines blew open a one-run contest in Saturday's finale to defeat sixth-seeded UC-Colorado Springs 8-4 and advance to the championship game of the RMAC Softball Tournament.
Mines improved to 39-5-1 overall, tying the program's single-season wins record from 2009, and will square off against the winner between the Mountain Lions (26-19-1) and fifth-seeded Adams State at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday in the title game at the CSM Softball Field in Golden.
After UCCS sent two runs across in the top of the sixth inning to close within 4-3, the Orediggers seized control of the game in their at-bat as Springer ripped a one-out, solo homer to left and Derus followed consecutive base hits by junior Melissa Marshall and senior Molly Thiebaut with a three-run blast to right center. The 10th long ball of the season for Derus is tied for fifth-most in the Mines' single-season record book and ranks sixth in the RMAC.
The Orediggers built the 4-1 advantage through five thanks to an RBI-double to left center by Derus and pinch-hit, two-run single through the right side by junior Morgan Anderson. Following 3.5 innings of scoreless play, Mines took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a one-out, RBI-double down the rightfield line by junior Gianna Duncan.
Derus ended with four RBI and two runs on 2-for-3 hitting. Ranked fourth in the conference with 44 RBI, she leads the team with 14 multi-RBI games, including seven of three RBI or more.
Marshall was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Springer and Duncan each went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Duncan has hit safely in nine straight games and reached base successfully in her last 12.
Thiebaut and classmate Kamee Vessey also had 1-for-3 with Thiebaut sharing the team lead with a pair of runs and Vessey scoring once after a one-out triple to center in the fourth.
Senior Kelly Unkrich worked her third straight complete game of the tournament and 36th consecutive overall, giving up two earned runs on 10 hits and one walk with four strikeouts to raise her win-loss total to 25-1.
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