Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Colorado School of Mines cut its magic number to one as it split its series-opening doubleheader with Colorado Christian, losing 5-3 and winning 12-7.
The Orediggers (18-21, 16-16 RMAC) need to win one game of Sunday's doubleheader, or have CSU-Pueblo drop a game against New Mexico Highlands, to clinch their RMAC Tournament berth on the final day of the regular season.
The two teams will finish their series - and the regular season - with a doubleheader Sunday at 11 a.m.
GAME 1 - Colorado Christian 5, Mines 3
Mines ran up against a solid pitching performance from Tana Feiner and some timely CCU hitting as the Cougars took the first game 5-3.
CCU scored the first three runs of the game as Letty Valenzuela singled in an unearned run in the third, and Kristina Billante smacked a two-run homered in the fourth. Mines rallied back to tie it in the bottom of the fourth, though, thanks to a throwing error against Feiner on Jones' sacrifice bunt attempt. That allowed Sonoma Toot to score from first, and with Jones and Katie Leiker on later in the inning, Dani Valerio smoked a triple to the gap to tie the game.
The visitors pulled back ahead in the fifth when Valenzuela hit a lead-off double and Rylee Halenar walked, setting up Stephanie Tatham's two-run double to lead 5-3.
Feiner (12-14) then retired nine of her last 11 batters faced to secure the win, allowing none earned on seven hits. Hallie Smith (12-10) allowed four earned and struck out two.
GAME 2 - Mines 12, Colorado Christian 7
Mines feasted on seven CCU errors and produced 14 hits as they pulled away in the late innings with a 12-7 victory in game two.
Kara Jones went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and Sonoma Toot drove in a pair while scoring three runs. Maddie Rogers (6-11) left the game with an 8-6 lead in the fifth and ended up with the win, while Smith produced her third save of the year in relief.
Mines ran into early trouble when CCU loaded the bases in the first and produced four runs, but Rogers settled in and her offense backed up her. Boston Ludlow reached on an error to allow Toot to score in the bottom half, and after CCU tacked on a run in the second, Toot singled in two runs before an error on the play allowed another to cross and suddenly the lead was cut to 5-4 in the second.
Billante's sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 6-4, but that would be CCU's final lead as a wild four-run, four-hit, four-error bottom of the fourth gave the home team the lead for good. Brielle Asato led off with a single and later scored on a passed ball, while Valerio scored on an error that led Toot reach. After a pitching change, Toot came in on Jones' RBI double to take the lead, and Ludlow's sac fly made it 8-6.
Mines piled on three more in the fifth thanks to Paige Noehring's RBI double and Jones' two-run triple, and Pua Fujinaga scored on Dani Valerio's timing play at the end the sixth to make it 12-7.
CCU ran through three pitchers with starter Shelby Diffenderfer (11-16) taking the loss, allowing seven runs but only three earned. Jennie Winston let three more across, and Feiner allowed two in the final two innings.
