CONROE, Texas - Colorado School of Mines opened up the 2022 season with two tough losses at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational at the Scrapyard Sports complex.
The Orediggers (0-2) battled Rogers State in a 6-3 loss to start the day, then fell to #18 Angelo State 6-1 in the afternoon.
GAME 1 - ROGERS STATE 6, MINES 3
Rogers State rallied back from 3-1 down with five runs over the final three innings to hand Colorado School of Mines a 6-3 loss to open the tournament.
Sam Wade drove in two and
Trystin Oshiro-Sano was 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead Mines at the plate. Nicole Price was 3-for-3 and Jaylan Gibson had two RBI for the Hillcats.
M'Kayla Hillman picked up the win with four strikeouts and two earned runs surrendered in a complete game for RSU, retiring her final 10 batters faced.
Lauren Decker allowed three runs and struck out two in five innings pitched, taking no decision, with
Taylor Wayne making her career debut with three unearned runs allowed and a strikeout in two innings of relief.
Both pitchers had strong starts but Mines broke through first when a leadoff error extended the inning to let Wade smack a two-on, two-out single for the 2-0 lead. Lana Gass' triple plated Marissa Smith in the top of the fourth, but a double steal by
Emilee Sloan and Oshiro-Sano let the latter score for a 3-1 lead after four.
The Hillcats got going in the fifth with a Gibson two-run double to tie it 3-3, then Price's single and an error allowed the go-ahead run to score in the sixth. RSU added two insurance runs in the seventh when a two-out error let Callie Yellin and Elexis Watson score.
It was the first ever meeting between Mines and Rogers State.
GAME 2 - #18 ANGELO STATE 6, MINES 1
Mines battled against a top-25 opponent, but #18 Angelo State's timely hitting led them to a 6-1 win to close out Saturday.
Sadriena Rodriguez highlighted the Orediggers' game with a strong relief pitching performance, striking out eight and allowing one unearned run in three innings of work.
Renata Boyd went 2-for-4 out of the leadoff slot and punched in Mines' lone run, with
Sidney Wilson,
Sara Larson, and
Ellaena Rodriguez also collecting hits. The Rams were led by Keilei Garcia's two RBI and two-hit games at the bottom of the order by Bailey Martinez and Haylie Mitchell.
Angelo State combined three pitchers with Torrey Hogan earning the win with four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Cassidy Chvatal made her collegiate debut and allowed five runs striking out two in 4.0 innings; Rodriguez quieted the ASU bats in the late innings with her eight Ks.
ASU got on the board with a single in the second, then put a three-spot up in the third keyed by Garcia's two-run home run to lead 4-0. Ashlyn Lerma's RBI in the fourth made it 5-0 and an error in the fifth allowed Madison Fernandez to come across for the 6-0 lead.
Mines got on the board in the fifth when Larson led off with a double, moved to third on
Claire Smith's groundout, and then scored on Boyd's single to left.
NEXT UP
Mines finishes play at the tournament Sunday with #22 Texas A&M-Commerce and #15 Oklahoma Christian starting at 10 a.m. CT.
