SPEARFISH, S.D. - Sunday's only winner was the rain as Colorado School of Mines and Black Hills State battled through extra innings before the opening game of their doubleheader was halted and declared a 4-4 tie due to rain.
The day's second game was canceled after the two teams played through nine innings in an increasing rain.
Sam Wade's two-run double in the top of the seventh sent the game to extras, where both teams left chances to win on base.
It is only the second tie in program history dating back to 1983, and the first in conference play. The only other tie occurred in the 2013 season when Mines played a 5-5 non-conference draw with UCCS that was called due to darkness.
The Orediggers are now 21-13-1 overall and 20-10-1 in RMAC play; they are scheduled to wrap up the regular season at Regis on Monday pending the forecast.
Sydney Marchando threw all nine innings for Mines, striking out seven and not issuing a walk with two of her four runs allowed being earned. BSHU combined three pitchers with Darian Gottfried and Halie Litwin each allowing two runs and Crystal Amaral throwing the last 2.1 innings of scoreless ball. Due to the tie, there were no pitching decisions.
Bell Luebken's home run to lead off the bottom of the first put BHSU ahead 1-0, but
Aubree Karraker drove in
Sydney Marchando in the top of the second to knot the game 1-1. Baileigh Hubbard's single to score Luebken in the third put the Yellow Jackets briefly back on top before
Emilee Sloan's infield single allowed Marchando to score for a 2-2 tie in the fourth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Brittany Henricksen tripled in a run and scored on a throwing error to put the home team ahead; that left Mines down to its final at-bat, and with two outs and two on in the top of the seventh, Wade doubled to the left-center gap to plate
Sidney Wilson and
Kayleigh Krueger to send the game to extras.
In the eighth, Mines left
Megan Dickson on base and two Oredigger errors let BHSU put two on before Marchando issued a strikeout for the final out. The ninth saw Krueger double and Wilson walk, and both advanced on Wade's groundout but were stranded in scoring position; the Yellow Jackets left Luebken on base after singling on a comebacker off Marchando.
The game appeared headed for the 10th when the umpires and coaches agreed to halt the game, with the rain visibly affecting fielding throughout the extra innings.
