CANYON, Texas - Colorado School of Mines rebounded from a tough start but couldn't catch up to #25 Lubbock Christian in a 4-0 loss to start the 2021 season. 

The Chaps (6-2) chained together five hits to score all four of their runs in the first before Sydney Marchando clamped down to throw six scoreless innings after that. The Orediggers (0-1) were stymied at the plate by Taylor Franco, who scattered four hits and faced three over the minimum in the shutout.

Renata Boyd led Mines at the plate with a 2-for-3 game; Stefanie Brunello started the season with a bunt single, and Sam Wade also reached on a single. 

In LCU's first, Skylar Herrera singled in Savannah Wysocki following her lead-off double, and Athena Muniz's bases-loaded single scored two more runs before a passed ball allowed Addi Lewis to score later in the inning. Marchando worked out of further trouble with two strikeouts to end the inning.

The Orediggers couldn't get any offense going despite having lead-off runners in the first (Brunello's single), third (Sidney Wilson's hit by pitch), and sixth (Wade's single). The best scoring chance came in the third after Wilson used crafty baserunning to go from first to third on Boyd's infield single before Mines stranded the two on the corners. Franco (4-1) struck out four and did not allow a walk in the shutout. 

Marchando (0-1) sparkled after the first, allowing only one baserunner in the last six innings and retiring 13 straight to end the game. She finished with six strikeouts. 

Two freshmen, Wilson and Sara Larson, earned their first collegiate starters while Kayleigh Krueger and Aubree Karraker made their first Mines appearances in pinch-hit and pinch-run roles, respectively.

The Orediggers play host West Texas A&M tonight at 6 p.m. CT.