GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines' final push fell a run short of catching up to a hot-hitting Fort Lewis team as the Skyhawks held on for a 9-8 win in their RMAC Tournament elimination game.

The Skyhawks hit five home runs including two by Brianna Leavell. Kayleigh Krueger went deep in the seventh for Mines, and Kylie Redding went 3-for-4. 

The Orediggers end their season at 22-15-1. Fort Lewis advances to play Regis in an elimination game tonight. 

Playing as the away team, Mines got on the board first when Kylie Redding singled in Sidney Wilson in the top of the fourth, but FLC's longball barrage began in the bottom half as Kylie Hefley went long for a 2-1 lead.

Hefley doubled in another run to start off the third before Leavell and McKenna Hefley homered back-to-back around a pitching change to break the game open at 6-1. Mines responded by manufacturing their own four-spot in the fourth, with Brunello singling in Redding before Sam Wade doubled in two runs and Aubree Karraker drove home Wade later in the inning to cut it to 6-5.

FLC's Taylor Beaman went long in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 8-5, and Leavell hit her second of the game in the fifth to make it 9-5. Mines tried to mount a comeback, with Renata Boyd's RBI single to plate Brunello getting a run back in the sixth, Sydney Marchando working a 1-2-3 bottom half, and then Krueger smashing a one-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh to make it a 9-8 game. The Skyhawks got the final two outs, however, to seal their advancement.

Leavell (9-12) got the win in 3.2 innings of relief for Kendra Keahbone. Krueger (4-4) started for Mines and departed in the third; Sadriena Rodriguez threw 1.2 innings of work before Marchando pitched the fifth and sixth.