Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

 

Colorado School of Mines put a scare into #12 St. Mary's in their 2016 season opener, but the Rattlers rallied with a big sixth inning to win 5-3.

The Orediggers led much of the game, putting two on the board in the second and another in the fifth before the Rattlers put four across in the sixth.

Mines struck first as freshman Katie Leiker used her first career at-bat to drive in classmate Boston Ludlow. Ludlow led off the inning with a double and advanced on an overthrown pick-off, and Leiker dropped a single down the rightfield line to score her. Leiker quickly moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on freshman Loren Dempsey's fielder's choice.

The Orediggers tacked on another in the fifth as Dempsey led off with an infield single, and Dani Valerio pinch-ran and advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third when Brielle Asato beat out a hit to first. Valerio later slid in under the tag when Kara Walling reached on a fielder's choice. Mines left the bases loaded looking for more damage after compiling three hits in the inning.

The Rattlers mounted a comeback starting with Sydney Wellmann's lead-off home run to left in the bottom of the fifth, then with a breakout sixth inning. Freshman Maddie Rogers relieved starter Hallie Smith to start the inning, and the Rattlers manufactured their runs with four hits. Smith re-entered to finish the inning and allowed a bases-loaded walk, but limited the damage as she forced St. Mary's to strand the bases loaded.

Paige Noehring made things interesting in the seventh when she stretched a double and advanced to third on Walling's ground-out, but she couldn't come across as St. Mary's Ashley Mills finished a fine outing.

IN THE CIRCLE
- Smith got the starting nod for Mines and went 5.2 allowing six hits, one earned run, and six walks while striking out five. She showed resiliency over the first five innings as St. Mary's stranded nine of their 12 batters in that span. Rogers was charged with the loss.
- St. Mary's starter Hope Russell departed after the second inning having allowed two runs on four hits; Mills pitched superbly in five innings of relief, allowing one unearned run and whiffing six.

NOTABLES
- The first hit of the season belonged to Pua Fujinaga, who lined up the middle in the first inning.
- Four freshmen were in the opening-day starting line-up for Mines and six made their collegiate debuts overall. Boston Ludlow (1B), Kara Jones (DP), Katie Leiker (SS), and Loren Dempsey (C) got the starting call, Valerio made her first career appearance as a pinch-runner for Dempsey in the fifth, and Rogers pitched in the sixth.
- Brielle Asato put together a 2-for-3 day to lead Mines at the plate. She also stole a base.
- Three freshmen - Ludlow, Leiker, and Dempsey - recorded their first career hits.
- Six different Orediggers recorded hits, and Noehring and Ludlow each smacked doubles.
- There was no rust for the Mines defense, which went error-free and turned a double play to get out of the third. The Rattlers, meanwhile, had two errors, leading to a pair of unearned runs for Mines.

DUE UP
Mines remains at St. Mary's for the weekend, playing two Friday against Texas A&M Commerce (11 a.m. MST) and East Central (1:30 p.m. MST).