LAS VEGAS, N.M. - Colorado School of Mines finished off the series sweep of New Mexico Highlands, slugging through a pair of run-rule wins on Sunday.

The Orediggers (8-8, 7-5 RMAC) got back on the right side .500 in conference play led by Clara Larson's three-RBI game one and Kayleigh Krueger's four-RBI game two. Mines played as the home team in both games after the series was moved from Golden due to weather.

Multiple Orediggers turned in huge power numbers for the series led by Kylie Redding, who went 10-for-14 (.714) with eight RBI and three doubles, Clara Larson, who slugged 1.083 with eight RBI and two home runs, and Stefanie Brunello, who scored nine runs with five doubles and six RBI across the four games.

GAME 1 - Mines 12, New Mexico Highlands 4 (5 inn.)
Clara Larson drove in three runs including her fourth home run of the season to lead Mines to a 12-4, five-inning victory in the morning game.

Four Orediggers collected multiple hits led by Renata Boyd's 3-for-4 game as the top three spots in the lineup - Brunello, Boyd, and Larson - combined to go 7-for-11 with six runs scored. Sydney Marchando (3-3) picked up her second win of the weekend with four strikeouts.

Larson's solo shot in the first inning made it 1-0, and Kayleigh Krueger went yard for the first time in her collegiate career one inning later to double the lead. Mines busted the game open in the third, though, batting around to produce seven runs on seven hits, with six runs coming courtesy of RBI singles from Redding, Grace Gonzales, Sidney Wilson, Lauren Decker, and Boyd.

The Cowgirls pulled back two runs each in the fourth and fifth, but Mines shut the door and ended the game when Larson doubled down the line to plate Boyd and Brunello in the bottom of the fifth.

Sadriena Rodriguez pitched the final two outs for Mines retiring both batters she faced in the top of the fifth. Nathalie Blattmann (2-5) departed in the third and took the loss allowing nine runs, with Cassidy Munoz pitching the balance and giving up three runs.

GAME 2 - Mines 11, New Mexico Highlands 3 (6 inn.)
Kayleigh Krueger drove in four runs to help herself in the circle as Mines closed out the sweep with an 11-3, six-inning victory in the afternoon.

Stefanie Brunello went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two doubles out of the lead-off spot and Kylie Redding and Lauren Decker also had three-hit games to power a 16-hit offensive performance for the Orediggers. Krueger went the distance in the circle to improve to 2-2 with three strikeouts.

A Samantha Gamboa sacrifice fly got the Cowgirls on the board in the first, but Krueger quickly got Mines on ahead with her two-run single in the bottom half. NMHU tied it 2-2 on Camrynn Ziegler's RBI double in the second, but Brunello took the lead back when she doubled home Sidney Wilson, also in the second.

NMHU tied it a second time when Brooke De La Garza drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch, but Redding's double to plate Larson put Mines ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the third, and the Orediggers would not trail again. A big four-run fourth inning was keyed by RBI singles from Brunello and Redding before Krueger smacked a two-on single to make it 8-3; Mines wrapped it up in the sixth with three more runs thanks to singles by Wilson and Decker before Brunello's sac fly halted the game.

Paige Varni (2-3) took the loss allowing eight runs over 3.2 innings. Samantha Gamboa relieved her surrendering three over two innings.

NEXT UP
Mines visits UCCS next weekend.