Mines at MSU Denver, Sunday, 12/2 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines at MSU Denver, Monday, 4 p.m./6 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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SCHEDULE CHANGED THIS WEEKEND
Due to weather on Friday and Saturday, this weekend's series at MSU Denver has been moved to a Sunday-Monday schedule. The two teams will play a noon doubleheader on Sunday, then get a rare evening twinbill in on Monday starting at 4 p.m.

THE SERIES
Mines travels across town to MSU Denver in an important RMAC series as the regular season winds down to its final two weeks. Only two games separate Mines (19-13 RMAC) and MSU Denver (21-11 RMAC) in the league standings as they fight for postseason positioning. Both teams are on a roll with each having won 10 of their last 12 games.

LAST WEEKEND
Mines took three out of four from Chadron State to continue their red-hot play. After dropping the opener 6-4, Mines pounded CSC 13-1 and 9-0 in a pair of run-rule games before ending with a 7-2 victory. Mines had four players slug better than .600 for the series in Clara Larson (1.000, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Sonoma Toot (.800, 3 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI), Katie Leiker (.692, 7 RBI) and Kara Jones (.615, 1 2B). Claire Stringfellow went 2-0 while Maddie Rogers also picked up a win as she, Sydney Marchando, and Hallie Smith combined for a shutout in game three.

IN THE HUNT
With eight games to go in the regular season, Mines continues to hang in the fifth spot in the RMAC standings at 19-13, right behind MSU Denver (21-11) and Regis (22-10). The Orediggers are one of five teams over .500 in conference play, and could conceivably clinch an RMAC Tournament berth this weekend with a combination of their own wins along with losses by Adams State, Chadron State, and/or CSU-Pueblo. The top eight teams in the standings make the tournament field.

BACK BACK BACK…
Clara Larson now leads the RMAC with 14 home runs, which has her threatening the Mines single-season mark of 15 set by Kamee Vassey in 2012 and Gina Ross in 2008. Larson's power production now has her second in the RMAC in slugging (.857), RBI (58), and doubles (18) as well. Larson is also close to the Mines single-season RBI mark of 61 (set by Katie Kocman in 2009) and if the season ended today, she would have the best single-season slugging percentage at .857, with the record of .850 by Deborah Ausmus standing since 1994.

ASATO SETS STOLEN BASE RECORD
Senior Brielle Asato became Mines' all-time stolen base leader against Adams State with a pair of swipes on Monday. She surpassed Kaleigh Staff (2007-10) and former teammate Paige Noehring (2014-17) with her 46th stolen base, and is now 47-for-50 in her career; this season, the speedy rightfielder has a team-high 13 thefts in 14 attempts.

SMITH SAVES THE DAY
Another career record fell on Monday as senior Hallie Smith became Mines' all-time saves leader. Smith entered in the sixth with the tying run on deck and struck out four of her seven batters faced to pick up her 12th career save, surpassing Kelly Unkrich for the school record. She is now second all-time in RMAC history, two behind Adams State's Morgan McWilliams who had 14 from 2012-15.

MOVING ON UP
Senior Sonoma Toot has compiled some impressive numbers in her career, and she's quickly moving up the Mines record book in a number of categories. Toot - who has started all 184 games she's played in since 2015 - currently ranks among the Mines all-time top 10 in runs (117, 9th), doubles (46, 3rd), RBI (116, 7th), and walks (62, 6th). She is also on the verge of cracking the top-10 in career hits as she is Mines' active leader with 177.

STRINGFELLOW ON A ROLL
Sophomore Claire Stringfellow has been Mines' most consistent arm this season, and she's been especially hot over the last month. Stringfellow has lowered her ERA to 2.28 (4th in the RMAC) and is now a staff-best 11-5. She has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of her last six starts; Mines has won all six of those games.

LAST YEAR VS. MSU DENVER
Mines swept MSU Denver at home in remarkable fashion, walking off three times against the Roadrunners in a drama-packed series. The opener was the only game not decided by a single run as Mines won 7-5, and Clara Larson's walk-off home run in the eighth of game two game the Orediggers a 3-2 win. It was more of the same in game three as they went into the ninth before Katie Leiker's RBI single won it, and game four was the wildest yet as Mines overcame a 7-0 deficit to win 9-8 on Kara Jones' walk-off double in the seventh.

SCOUTING MSU DENVER
The Roadrunners have been led at the plate by the duo of Kristyn Peters and Megan Sansburn; Peters is hitting .352 and slugging .611 with 35 RBI, while Sansburg is hitting .355/.624 with 28 RBI. In the circle, the trio of Kylee Burnside (3.31, 9-7), Darby McGhee (3.73, 12-8), and Destinee Lopez (4.97, 4-4) have carried the load, holding opponents to a .292 average.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will return to Colorado and head across town to MSU Denver on April 21-22. The Orediggers wrap up the regular season April 28-29 hosting Colorado Christian.