BLOOMFIELD, N.M. – Back at Bloomfield High School for the final day of their four-game series with Fort Lewis, the Colorado School of Mines softball team played a marathon double-header Monday, as both games went to extra innings.
 
The Orediggers (7-7, 6-2) led multiple times in the first game of the day but ended up being walked off via the homerun for the second time this weekend, falling in 10 innings in the opening 5-4 before orchestrating a big eighth inning in game two and withstanding one last late push from the Skyhawks (5-10, 3-5) to win the series final 6-5 and split the four-game series.
 
Mines once again got on the board first in game one, as Aubree Karraker came around to score with two outs on an E3 by the Skyhawks off the bat of Kayleigh Krueger after reaching with a one-out single. FLC answered right back with an RBI double by Catheryn Rodman that scored Alex Tenorio to even things back up at 1-1.
 
After a scoreless second inning that saw Sadriena Rodriguez strikeout the side after surrendering a leadoff walk, the Orediggers put up two runs in the top of the third. Karraker once again singled with one out back up the middle and was joined on base by Sidney Wilson with a single of her own. A passed ball put two in scoring position for Krueger, who put a ball in play to the shortstop that allowed Karraker to score and Wilson to move up 60 feet to third with two outs. Wilson scored moments later when a slow roller to shortstop by Sara Larson was mishandled to make it a 3-1 game.
 
After a scoreless fourth inning, Hannah Roberts looked to get something going for Mines to lead off the fifth as she doubled off the centerfield fence to lead off the inning before being lifted for a pinch runner in Paige Dompier. A groundout by Kendall Aragon moved Dompier up to third before she came home to score on an error on a ground ball from Karraker right to first base that couldn't be corralled to make it 4-1.
 
Fort Lewis managed an answer in the bottom of the inning, turning a leadoff triple by the nine-hole hitter Alyssa Gutierrez into a run on an RBI groundout by Sloan Shotton to once again make it a two-run game before Tenorio and Rodman went back-to-back with solo home runs to centerfield off Rodriguez and Kat Miller to tie the game back up at 4-4.
 
Renata Boyd led off the top of the sixth with a single as Mines looked to answer back. After a groundout advanced her to second, Lauren Decker reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners for Hannah Roberts, who hit a chopper toward the shortstop who made a great defensive play to make the off-balance throw home as Boyd was tagged out trying to score the go-ahead run. The Skyhawks were able to get the go-ahead run on to lead off in their half of the inning and into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt. A groundout to shortstop for the second out of the inning resulted in no advance from the runner but an infield single to Krueger and head-first dive by Gutierrez earned a 50-50 safe call for FLC to put runners at the corners. A walk to the next batter loaded the bases, but Miller was able to pitch her way out of trouble, getting ahead 1-2 on Kayla Stone before inducing a fielder's choice force at second to keep the game tied at 4-4.
 
Cassidy Chvatal (1-4) took over in the circle to work the bottom of the seventh was able to work around a two-out walk to retire the side and send the game to extra innings.
 
Lexie Semeyn pinch hit for Boyd to lead off the eighth and worked a walk before Boyd checked back in to run at first. Grace Gonzales, who entered earlier to pinch hit for Kailey Robb, reached on a fielder's choice before Robb re-entered the game to run and was able to advance into scoring position on a groundout by Trystin Oshiro-Sano, but was left stranded to end the inning. Chvatal was able to navigate around a leadoff walk in the home half to work a scoreless inning and send the game tied to the ninth still even at 4-4.
 
Wilson managed a two-out single in the top of the inning but FLC was able to get out of it by getting the force at second. Unfortunately for the Orediggers, the long ball came into play once more, as with two outs Cara Daugherty hit a walk-off home run to center to pick up the 5-4 win.
 
Game two got off to a fast start for Mines in the top of the first, as after Aubree Karraker and Sidney Wilson both reached base, Lexie Semeyn stepped in with two outs in the inning and unloaded on a pitch for a three-run home run to left field, her second big fly of the weekend to make it 3-0.
 
Taylor Wayne (1-1) left one in her first inning of work and sat down the Skyhawks in order in the second before FLC was able to break through for a run in the third, as Izzy Giroux came around to score on a sacrifice fly after she reached on an error to start the inning.
 
Fort Lewis came back to tie things up at 3-3 in the fifth, as following back-to-back doubles with one out, Shotton singled through the right side and despite being thrown at second by Aragon trying to stretch a double, both runners on base were able to score and reset the game heading to the sixth.
 
Mines looked to mount an answer in the sixth inning as Sara Larson reach base with a one-out single box through the box, and despite stealing second was left in scoring position as a strikeout ended the inning.
 
Both sides had a chance to score in the seventh, as in the top of the inning Sophie Furniss led off with a pinch hit single before Renata Boyd entered to pinch run. After a popped up bunt attempt resulted in the first out of the inning, Karraker reached on an error in centerfield to put two in scoring position before a walk by Kayleigh Krueger with two outs loaded the bases but to no avail as Fort Lewis picked up a strikeout to escape danger.
 
Wayne responded with another 1-2-3 inning in the home half to send the nightcap to extra innings, when  Mines finally broke through and ended their scoreless drought. Sara Larson led off with a single before Trystin Oshiro-Sano reached on a bunt single to put two runners on. After Kailey Robb came on to run for Oshiro-Sano and a strikeout, pinch hitter Grace Gonzales delivered in the clutch, singling up the middle to plate Larson for the go-ahead run. Two more runs scored on another FLC outfield error of the bat of Karraker as Mines finished up with three in the inning to regain the lead 6-3.
 
However, Fort Lewis decided they would not go quietly into the New Mexico night, and started to rally right away, as a leadoff error and two doubles made it a 6-4 game and brought a call to the bullpen. Cassidy Chvatal came back on and picked up the first out of the inning as a sac fly to center by Rodman scored Stone to make it 6-5 and advance the go-ahead runner in Tenorio to third. Chvatal, pitching in extra innings for the second time Monday, rose to the occasion and was able to retire the final two Skyhawks via strikes to record her third save of the season and close out the win to earn a series split.
 
NOTABLES
-Rodriguez took a no-decision as she worked 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts
-Miller worked 1.1 innings in relief and allowed a run on two hits, while Chvatal pitched well over her 3.2 innings of relief, striking out five including two in the bottom of the 10th
-Wilson led the way at the plate in the opener with a 3-5 game, while Karraker and Decker each had a pair of hits
-Larson went 2-4 in game two to lead the offense as eight different players recorded a hit in the game
-Gonzales and Furniss each delivered pinch hit singles as the former found herself driving in the go-ahead run in a game for the second time in as many weeks
-Wayne worked into the eighth in the nightcap and finished with seven innings pitched and five runs, three earned, on nine hits with four strikeouts
-Chvatal was able to bounce back from the opener to record her RMAC-leading third save of the season and finished the day with 4.2 innings pitched and one run allowed on one hit with seven strikeouts
-Mines is now tied for their best start to conference play at 6-2 since the 2019 season

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will return to Golden this weekend to host Regis in a four-game series March 4-5 in the first leg of an eight-game homestand.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines softball on Twitter at @MinesSoftball and Instagram at @mines_sb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.