GAME 1: MINES 2, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 1

Cassidy Chvatal's quality start and timely Oredigger hitting prevailed in a pitcher's duel as Colorado School of Mines beat New Mexico Highlands 2-1 to start the series on Sunday.

Chavatal and Highlands ace Nathalie Blattmann carried a 0-0 game into the seventh before Mines broke through on RBI from Renata Boyd and Lauren Decker in their final at-bat.

The Orediggers weren't without chances earlier in the game as they stranded the bases loaded in the first and left runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings. The go-ahead inning came in the top of the seventh, however, as Hannah Roberts' pinch-hit single started a two-run rally. Roberts scored from second on Boyd's two-out triple, and Decker followed that up by legging out an infield single to plate Boyd for the 2-0 lead.

The Cowgirls made things interesting in the bottom half as a lead-off walk by Brooke De la Garza turned into a run on a Savannah Chavez single later in the inning; that put the winning run on first base, and Mines brought in Sadriena Rodriguez to close out the game with a strikeout looking on Dioni Lincoln.

Chvatal (1-4) picked up her first collegiate win scattering four hits and whiffing four in 6.2 innings of work; Rodriguez earned the one-out save, her first of the season. Blattmann (4-3) allowed the two runs striking out seven in the complete game.
 

GAME 2: MINES 9, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 0 (5 inn.)

Lauren Decker's one-hit shutout was supported by 14 hits as the Orediggers blasted the Cowgirls 9-0 in five to end the day.

Ellaena Rodriguez drove in four runs and six different players had RBI overall as Mines produced big offensive numbers led by three-hit games from Decker, Renata Boyd, and Hannah Roberts. 

Decker was spectacular in the circle, carrying a no-hitter through 4.2 innings with only Demi Uffelman's double in the bottom of the fifth spoiling the bid.

Rodriguez got things going with a bases-loaded two-run single in the second, and Boyd added a run later in the inning to lead 3-0. It was Rodriguez again in the third as her single brought in Roberts and Sidney Wilson to lead 5-0, and a three-spot in the fourth put the game into run-rule territory as Decker helped herself with an RBI single and Kayleigh Krueger and Wilson had back-to-back sacrifice flies to make it 8-0. Sara Larson's RBI groundout in the fifth scored Paige Dompier to add the insurance run.

Decker (2-4) hit the first batter she faced then retired 14 in a row after that, striking out six and not issuing a walk in the win. Uffelman (0-3) departed in the third allowing four runs, with Arianna Ramirez allowing five in relief.

NEXT UP

The two teams wrap up the series Monday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.