GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines engineered a pair of comeback victories to win their doubleheader with Regis by scores of 4-2 and 5-4 on Sunday.

The Orediggers (10-4, 7-1 RMAC) are now out to their best start in league play since 2013. In the opener, Mines came back from 2-1 down with three runs in the sixth, including a two-run double from Kara Jones and Boston Ludlow's RBI single to back up a fine start by Claire Stringfellow. In the nightcap, it was a back-and-forth battle before Katie Leiker's walk-off single scored Brielle Asato for the win.

Mines took the series 3-1 after splitting Saturday's games with the Rangers (12-12, 4-4 RMAC)

GAME 1 - Mines 4, Regis 2
Mines used a three-run sixth inning to take the day's opener, 4-2.

Behind a 3-for-3 game by Boston Ludlow and a quality start by Claire Stringfellow (5-1), Mines drilled eight hits to overcome an early Regis lead. Regis pitcher Logan Losh helped herself with a solo home run to dead center in the second, and the game would stay 1-0 until the fifth when Pua Fujinaga's double scored Brielle Asato to tie it 1-1.

A pair of errors in the top of the sixth let the Rangers go back ahead as Melissa Heronema reached on a throwing miscue to score Delaney McGinn; that lead wouldn't last long, however, as Mines solved Losh in the bottom half for three runs. Clara Larson led off with a single and was sacrificed over by Sonoma Toot; after Katie Leiker was hit by a pitch, Kara Jones tucked a double inside the leftfield line to plate both runs, and Ludlow blooped a single into left to tack on another run.

Hallie Smith entered in the seventh and got some help from her defense as Fujinaga and Ludlow doubled up the Rangers on a lineout, and a groundout ended the game. That earned Smith her third save of the season with Stringfellow allowing only one earned through six innings. Losh (9-4), the RMAC ERA leader coming into the game at 1.92, allowed four earned in the complete game.

GAME 2 - Mines 5, Regis 4
Katie Leiker's seventh-inning walkoff hit decided a back-and-forth battle in the final game of the series as Mines won 5-4.

Hallie Smith improved to 4-2 with a six-strikeout complete-game effort as Paige Noehring and Leiker each drove in a pair of runs.

Regis got on the board with a big first inning, loading the bases with no outs and setting up an RBI single by Delaney McGinn and a bases-loaded walk by Laura Scheffel. Smith worked the jam, however, and limited the damage with a pair of popups and a heads-up play by Boston Ludlow to Kara Jones at the plate.

Kelsey Buchler cut the lead in half with an RBI single in the single, plating Ludlow after an error extended the inning, but Regis got it back in the third with a Losh single. Noehring drove in Buechler and Pua Fujinaga in the fourth, doubling to tie the game 3-3, but a Lauren Hernandez single in the fifth put the Ragners back in the lead, 4-3.

Neither team could find anything in the sixth, and after Smith worked a clean top of the seventh, the Orediggers brought up the top of the order in the bottom half. With two outs, Sonoma Toot started the rally with a single through the left side, advancing to second and putting Brielle Asato on third; that left it up to Leiker, who singled to shortstop and scored Asato to win.

Taylor Armitage (3-8) allowed three earned for Regis. 

NEXT UP
Mines visits UCCS next weekend.