GAME 1 - MSU Denver 4, Mines 3
In a back-and-forth opener, it came down to who scored last as MSU Denver ended up with a comeback 4-3 win.

The Roadrunners scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good after Sonoma Toot's RBI single in the top of the sixth had put Mines on top. Kara Jones led the Orediggers at the plate with a two-hit game while Toot and Kelsey Buechler drove in runs.

Mines got on the board first in the third as Clara Larson scored on a double-steal with Kara Jones, and one of MSU Denver's four errors cost them a run in the fourth as Buchler reached on a miscue and Loren Dempsey scored to lead 2-0.

The hosts quickly worked to tie it up as Sarena Espinoza doubled in a run in the fourth before Megan Sansburg homered to tie it 2-2 in the fifth. In the sixth, Toot singled in Brielle Asato, but the Roadrunners would rally for good in the bottom half as Espinoza doubled in the tying run and Jasmine Wessel scored her later in the inning for the go-ahead tally.

Mines combined three pitchers as Sydney Marchando threw three strong scoreless innings in the start. Maddie Rogers allowed two runs in two innings of relief whiel Hallie Smith (9-10) was charged with the loss. Darby McGhee (15-9) earned the win with six strikeouts in six innings and Kylee Burnside picked up the save tossing a scoreless and hitless seventh.

GAME 2 - MSU Denver 8, Mines 5
The two teams played deep into the night as a delay-extended series finale ended up 8-5 in favor of MSU Denver.

The Roadrunners led the entire way as second-inning home runs by Sarena Espinoza and Annika Anderson put them ahead 4-0 before a lightning storm moved across Denver, halting the game for nearly 90 minutes prior to the start of the third inning. After the stoppage, MSU Denver got right back to scoring as Espinoza tripled in two more runs to make it 6-0.

Mines wouldn't quit, though, and slowly chipped away at the deficit with a two-run fourth. Kylie Redding singled in the first run, and Dani Valerio would walk with the bases loaded later in the frame to make it 6-2. After an Ashlee Kim double in the bottom of the fourth made it 7-2 Roadrunners, Mines would score three in the sixth as Kara Jones drew a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and Katie Leiker singled in two runs to cut it to 7-5.

MSU Denver got an insurance run on Koryna Wright's sac fly in their half of the sixth, and Mines would then leave the tying run at the plate in the seventh.

Claire Stringfellow (12-6) was charged with the loss, allowing six earned over 2.1 innings. Sydney Marchando threw 3.2 innings of relief allowing two runs with three strikeouts. Kylee Burnside (10-9) earned the win in 5.2 innings of work with Darby McGhee throwing the final 1.1 innings.

Leiker and Pua Fujinaga led Mines with two hits each. With the delay, the game stretched to 3:21.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home for its final series of the regular season, hosting Colorado Christian beginning Saturday at noon.