Box Score Hallie Smith threw a shutout as Colorado School of Mines advanced in the RMAC Tournament with a 2-0 win over Regis in their opener.
In her first career postseason appearance, Smith threw her fourth shutout of the season, scattering six hits as the Mines defense backed her up with a flawless game. Pua Fujinaga scored both of Mines' runs, with Paige Noehring's fifth-inning single breaking a scoreless deadlock.
Mines advances to face #20 Colorado Mesa, a 9-1 winner over Adams State, Friday at 3:15 p.m. in a winners' bracket game.
A match up of two all-RMAC pitchers in Smith and Nicole Aviles didn't disappoint as the pair carried shutouts into the fifth inning. Aviles struck out eight and walked only one with five hits surrendered in a hard-luck loss, while Smith fanned two to pick up her 14th win of the season.
Mines had some early scoring threats as Kara Jones was stranded on third after her lead-off double in the second, and Jones reached on a two-out error in the fourth and Ludlow followed with a single, but the pair were stranded again.
Regis had a lead-off double in the third, but the Mines defense turned a terrific double play to end the frame as Smith, Ludlow, and Jones went 1-3-2. Regis threatened again in the fourth as consecutive singles by Carlie Sexton and Aviles put two on with one out, but Smith whiffed Macy Cox and Asato handled a liner for the third out.
Mines' breakthrough came in the fifth as Fujinaga led off with a single, and after Walling's sacrifice and Asato's groundout, Noehring drove her in with a two-out base hit to left field.
The Orediggers padded their lead in the top of the seventh as Fujinaga again scored to make it 2-0. After she walked and reached third on Walling's groundout and Asato's single, the sophomore came home when Asato stole second and an overthrow by the catcher allowed the run.
Smith closed it out as she cruised through the final innings, allowing only one baserunner to reach second over the final three frames to pick up the win.
NOTABLES
- Noehring cracked the Mines all-time top-10 list in career hits with her go-ahead RBI single. The junior now has 176 career base knocks.
- Asato extended her perfect stolen base streak to 15 this season with her seventh inning swipe that led to Mines' second run.
- It was the first career postseason game for all of Mines' players; the last time the Orediggers made the tournament was 2013, when they won their only title.
- Mines' defense went error-free, highlighted by the inning-ending double play in the third. Jones also threw out a base stealer to end the second.
Photo courtesy RMAC
