CONROE, Texas - Colorado School of Mines dropped two games at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational, but still put together two strong performances against nationally-ranked competition as they faced #22 Texas A&M-Commerce and #15 Oklahoma Christian on Sunday.

Mines had nine hits but fell 7-4 to TAMUC in the morning despite battling back from an early deficit, then dropped a 3-1 pitcher's duel to OC in the second game. 

GAME 1 - #22 TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE 7, MINES 4
The Orediggers battled back from a 7-0 deficit but ran out of innings as Texas A&M-Commerce held on for the 7-4 win to start the day.

Sidney Wilson went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored to lead a Mines team that generated nine hits to the Lions' six. Fielding miscues hurt both teams as the Lions had four errors and Mines three.

Cassidy Chvatal highlighted Mines' game in the circle with 4.0 innings of hitless relief, striking out three to settle a game that saw the Lions put five across in the first and two in the second. Taylor Wayne allowed six earned in the start, and Chanlee Oakes earned the win allowing three earned with five strikeouts for TAMUC.

The Lions got off to a hot start as an early error allowed their first two runs to cross before Brooke Aaron's bases-clearing double made it 5-0. Avery Boley's two-run single in the second extended the lead to 7-0 and threatened to end the game early.

While Mines brought in Chvatal to quiet the Lion bats, the offense got going in the fourth when Hannah Roberts' first collegiate hit produced the Orediggers' first run as her single plated Wilson. Wilson then sparked a two-run sixth with a double to score Emilee Sloan, and she later scored on Sara Larson's fielder's choice before doubling home Trystin Oshiro-Sano in the seventh to make it 7-4.

GAME 2 - #15 Oklahoma Christian 3, Mines 1
Sadriena Rodriguez had her second straight quality outing, but Kali Crandall's gem quieted the Mines bats as #15 Oklahoma Christian scored late to win 3-1.

Rodriguez did not allow an earned run as she struck out two through 5.2 innings, with Lauren Decker throwing the final out of the sixth and the seventh. Kali Crandall carried a no-hitter into the sixth and struck out 10 to improve to 1-1.

Both pitchers dueled through five scoreless innings until OC broke through first in the sixth. A walk and an error put two on, and Lindsey Stoeckel's single scored Whitney Walde before Kelsey Gammage drove in Rian Gamble after the pitching change. 

The Orediggers clawed a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Kailey Robb led off with a walk and Grace Gonzales broke up the no-hit bid with her RBI double to the left-center gap. OC tacked on insurance in the seventh, however, as Walde tripled in Hannah Pate with two outs but was thrown out trying to stretch an inside-the-park home run on a Robb-Wilson-Gonzales relay. In the bottom half, Kayleigh Krueger led off with a single, but Crandall induced three straight outs to finish the victory.

NEXT UP
Mines heads back to Texas for four games at the Lubbock Christian Invitational on Feb. 11-12.