Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

(Photo courtesy John Vestal/Sports Fanatic)

Colorado School of Mines split their final day of the RMAC pod at Fort Lewis, falling to the hosts 7-4 before routing New Mexico Highlands 12-1 to finish 3-1 for the weekend.

The Orediggers (12-15, 10-10 RMAC) have won six of their last seven games and moved themselves into the top half of the RMAC standings with the big weekend.

At the plate on Sunday, Sonoma Toot went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and two RBI on the day to cap a big weekend that saw her hit .727 and slug 1.182 with seven RBI, seven runs scored, two doubles and a home run. Loren Dempsey broke out for a career-high four RBI against New Mexico Highlands to cap a six-RBI weekend, and Pua Fujinaga drove in a pair in each game.

GAME 1 - Fort Lewis 7, Mines 4
A comeback for the second straight day wasn't in the cards as Fort Lewis outlasted Mines 7-4 to split their season series.

After Mines dropped six runs in the seventh to win yesterday, the Skyhawks (10-22, 8-12 RMAC) came out with another early lead and held on for the win on Sunday led by Angelique Elemen's three RBIs, including a third-inning home run. Elemen doubled in two runs in the first before Fujinaga answered with a single to score Toot in the second; Elemen's homer then made it 3-1 in the third before Adriana Rosthenhausler brought in Mandy Owens in the fourth.

Fort Lewis extended the lead to 7-1 in the fifth on Missy Fundora's two-run single and Rosthenhausler's base hit up the middle, but Mines never gave in, mounting a three-run rally in the sixth to draw closer. Fujinaga singled in Katie Leiker to start the inning, and Brielle Asato's triple scored her before Asato came home on Paige Noehring's single. That put the game in reach, but reliever Rachel Foos put the Orediggers down in order in the seventh to end the threat.

Victoria Johnson (7-6) earned the win allowing four earned on seven hits; Maddie Rogers (4-9) took the loss in three innings of work allowing four earned, and Hallie Smith threw three innings of relief allowing three earned.

GAME 2 - Mines 12, New Mexico Highlands 1 (5 inn.)
For the second time in the series, Mines left with a run-rule win over New Mexico Highlands, this time smacking 13 hits to produce a dozen runs in a 12-1 five-inning victory.

The Orediggers, who won 12-4 in six against the Cowgirls (7-21, 4-15 RMAC) yesterday, had no lack of firepower at the plate as Dempsey drove in four, Kara Jones had three RBI, and Boston Ludlow and Toot each scored three runs in the game.

The scoring came early and often for Mines thanks to a four-run first. Jones' single to plate Ludlow started things off before Dempsey drew a bases-loaded plunking, and Fujinaga's single scored Leiker and Toot.

Toot added another run with a bases-loaded single in the second, and Jones, Toot, and Dempsey drove in runs in the fourth to set the lead at 8-0. The lead extended in the fifth thanks to Ludlow's RBI single to bring in Asato, Jones' sacrifice fly, and Dempsey's two-run single. NMHU's lone run came on a Jamie Weatherbee single in the fourth.

Hallie Smith (8-7) was superb, scattering five hits and allowing the one run with two strikeouts. Cowgirls starter Michelle Brincefield (4-7) went two innings allowing five runs; Desiree Bogarin was hit for six earned in relief. Mines did not strikeout at the plate in the game.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home Friday and Saturday to host CSU-Pueblo in a pair of doubleheaders.