PUEBLO, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines won a pair of very different games against New Mexico Highlands on Friday, surviving a pitcher's duel with a sixth-inning comeback to win 3-2 in the opener before drilling 16 hits in a 16-2, five-inning game two.
Sydney Marchando and
Claire Stringfellow turned in solid pitching performances as both earned complete-game wins.
Kara Jones produced four hits over the two games while
Hana Mawlawi had a career-high four RBI in game two.
The games were played at Pueblo South HS due to weather and field conditions across northern Colorado.
GAME 1 - MINES 3, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 2
Sydney Marchando prevailed in a pitcher's duel with Belinda Gonzalez as Mines rallied back in the bottom of the sixth to win 3-2.
The Orediggers erased a 2-0 deficit after Nicole Correia homered in the sixth thanks to
Kara Jones' RBI single and the go-ahead two-run double by
Megan Dickson in the bottom of the sixth. Mines had only five hits in the game - two by Dickson - but it was enough offense as Marchando struck out four to improve to 4-3.
Both pitchers cruised through the first five innings, but things started to open up for Mines in the fifth after Dickson walked and pinch-runner Valerio was eventually stranded on third in the inning. In the sixth, NMHU worked a two-out single by Cabrera into two runs after Correia homered to left center for the game's first runs, but Mines wasted no time in a comeback. In the bottom of the sixth,
Kendall Murphy led off with a walk and went to third on
Clara Larson's single; Jones then singled in Murphy and Dickson roped a double to plate two runs and take the lead.
Marchando hung tough in the top of the seven as Leah Osborn led off with a double and eventually was left on third as the Mines defense worked all three outs to earn the win.
Gonzalez (1-1) struck out four and walked two in the loss.
GAME 2 - MINES 16, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 2 (5 inn.)
Mines drilled 16 hits to produce as many runs as they routed the Cowgirls, 16-2, in a run-rule second game.
Hana Mawlawi went 3-for-3 with four RBI and
Clara Larson and
Kylie Redding drove in three apiece while
Kara Jones had a 3-for-3 game as well. The Orediggers scored five in the first, five in the second, and six in the third to run away with the game, producing six extra-base hits including two triples. Freshman
Claire Smith collected her first collegiate hit in the game.
NMHU actually got on the board first as Victoria Mata scored on an error, but Mines quickly erased the deficit with their big first inning.
Kendall Murphy scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch before Mawali drilled a bases-loaded triple to center and Redding had a sacrifice fly made it 5-1. In the second, Larson singled in both Murphy and
Katie Leiker before plating on Jones' single, and Mawlawi delivered again with an RBI single before
Kelsey Buechler's ground out allowed
Megan Dickson to score to make it 10-1.
The Cowgirls got a run back when Megan Malwitz singled in a run, but Mines left no double with a five-run third. Larson got it started as she doubled in Leiker from first, then scored on Jones' single before Redding's triple scored two more.
Stefanie Brunello drove in Redding, and Leiker capped it at 16-2 with an RBI single to center.
Claire Stringfellow (1-3) had a strong outing with three strikeouts over five innings, with both runs surrendered being unearned. NMHU combined three pitchers with starter Megan Jesionowski (0-1) exiting in the first.
NEXT UP
Mines and NMHU will finish the series Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
