GAME 1 - Mines 7, MSU Billings 1
The Mines bats supported a three-hit gem by
Claire Stringfellow as Mines won their home opener 7-1 over Montana State Billings.
The Orediggers worked seven hits against a stiff wind blowing in, using a pair of three-run innings to blow the game open as Stringfellow carried a no-hitter into the fourth and shutout to the sixth.
Megan Dickson drove in two runs while
Boston Ludlow and
Stefanie Brunello had two-hit games, and base running proved key as Mines had five stolen bases in the game, three resulting in runs.
Kelsey Buechler got Mines on the board in the second, singling in
Pua Fujinaga to lead 1-0, and Dickson was part of all three runs in the third as she doubled in
Clara Larson and
Dani Valerio before coming home on a double-steal attempt with Fujinaga to make it 4-0.
MSUB got a run back on Cameron Cassinelli's single in the sixth, but Mines put the game away in the bottom half of the frame with three more runs. Another double steal allowed
Brielle Asato to score as Ludlow reached second and advanced on an error; that let her score when Buechler reached on another error, and Buechler later scored as Brunello was caught stealing at second.
Stringfellow was superb, scattering three hits and striking out two to improve to 3-3. Megan Dettling (2-1) took her first loss of the season walking five and allowing five earned with five strikeouts.
GAME 2 - Mines 7, MSU Billings 2
Mines erupted for 12 hits in the afternoon game to take the doubleheader from Montana State Billings with a 7-2 result.
Four Orediggers -
Sonoma Toot,
Katie Leiker,
Loren Dempsey, and
Kelsey Buechler - had two-hit games as Toot and Dempsey each drove in a pair and Leiker launched her second home run of the season.
Mines fell behind in the first inning as Heather Tracey laced a triple down the line and scored on Cameron Cassinelli's single, and the game would stay 1-0 until a wild fourth inning saw Mines plate five runs while batting around. Leiker led off with a triple and scored on an error, and
Brielle Asato scored on
Boston Ludlow's double later in the inning to take the lead, 2-1. Dempsey drove in
Pua Fujinaga, and
Hana Mawlawi scored her first career run in a pinch-run appearance thanks to Toot's two-run double to bring her and Buechler across, making it 5-1.
Cassinelli's triple in the fifth scored a run, but Leiker canceled it out with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the inning, putting a towering shot over the fence in left to lead 6-2. Dempsey added her second RBI hit of the game to plate Asato later in the inning.
Maddie Rogers (2-1) struck out two allowing two earned to pick up the win. MSUB combined three pitchers with Maddy Lincoln (4-4) being chased in the fourth after allowing four earned, Haley Couch going 1.2 innings allowing two, and Megan Dettling finishing the game with a scoreless inning.
NOTABLES
- Mines evened their record at 6-6 at the conclusion of non-conference play. MSU Billings fell to 8-8.
- Mines has won at least one game of their home-opening doubleheader in each of the last seven seasons.
- Ludlow's three-hit day took her to 92 career hits.
- Both Stringfellow and Rogers keep their sub-2.00 ERAs intact as Stringfellow is now at a staff-leading 1.38 after six appearances and Rogers 1.58 after four appearances.
NEXT UP
Mines heads to Fort Lewis next weekend to open RMAC play on Saturday. Note that those games will take place at Aztec Tiger Complex in Aztec, N.M.
