AZTEC, N.M. - Colorado School of Mines split Monday's doubleheader against Fort Lewis to win their RMAC-opening series.

The Skyhawks (7-11, 1-3 RMAC) walked off with a 4-3 win in the morning game, but the Orediggers (9-7, 3-1 RMAC) used an eight-run fifth to key a 13-3, six-inning victory in the afternoon behind Katie Leiker's 3-for-4 game.

Mines took three out of four from FLC in the series, including two run-rule games. 

GAME 1 - Fort Lewis 4, Mines 3
A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for Robyn Hall let Fort Lewis walk off with a 4-3 win in the day's opener. It was a heartbreaking result for Mines after they tied the game in their final at-bat in the top of the seventh. 

Angelique Elemen put FLC on the board in the first with a double down the leftfield line to score Allison Young, but Boston Ludlow's two-run homer in the second gave the Orediggers a 2-1 lead. Fort Lewis went ahead in the third, however, as Denae Fisher doubled in Young to tie it before Lauren Caldwell doubled home Fisher to lead 3-2.

Down to their final out in the seventh and with the tying run on second, Mines' Kelsey Buchler singled to third base, and a throwing error allowed Asato to wheel around and score to tie the game. Mines couldn't snag the lead, however, and that opened the door for FLC, who loaded the bases with no outs and won when Elemen came home on Hall's plunking.

Buechler led Mines at the plate with two hits. Kendra Keahbone (3-3) went the distance and got the win for FLC allowing two earned with five strikeouts, while Mines starter Maddie Rogers struck out four over 2.1 innings with Sydney Marchando (0-1) whiffing five in relief.

GAME 2 - Mines 13, Fort Lewis 3 (6 inn.)
A huge fifth inning and four Fort Lewis errors keyed a dominating 13-3 win by the Orediggers in the series finale.

Mines scored 13 runs off just eight hits as both Sonoma Toot and Katie Leiker drove in three each, with Leiker going 3-for-4 and Clara Larson 2-for-5 with two RBI. Dani Valerio had a hit and walked twice, scoring all three times.

Hallie Smith (3-2) earned her second win of the series with a four-hit, three-run, four-strikeout effort.

Leiker got things going in the first with a double to score Toot, but FLC put two runs across in the first and another in the second to take a 3-1 lead. The game stayed that way until the fourth when Toot reached on an error to allow Valerio to score and make it 3-2, but it was the fifth inning that really turned the tide. A passed ball let Leiker come across the tie the game before Valerio's bases-loaded walk gave Mines the lead; that set off a wild inning where Mines scored again on an error and two on passed balls while Loren Dempsey and Larson added RBIs. 

In the sixth, Toot's RBI single and Leiker's two-run base hit added the insurance to make it 13-3 and end the game early. 

FLC combined three pitchers with starter Kelly Decker leaving in the fifth after allowing seven runs; Kassidy Trumbo got one out in the fifth and allowed five runs, with Kendra Keahboen finishing up.

NEXT UP
Mines will visit Regis next weekend, opening their RMAC set on Saturday at noon.