HAYS, Kan. – Stepping out of conference for the final time in 2023, the Colorado School of Mines softball team continued their eight-game road trip Tuesday with a doubleheader against former RMAC member Fort Hays State and came up short in both contests, falling 8-0 in five innings in game one before falling victim to a two-run home run in a 2-0 setback in game two.
 
The Orediggers (11-17) were held in check at the plate in game one as the Tigers (18-10) used a five-run first inning in the opener to cruise to the win before Allison Westbrook held FHSU to just three hit in game two at the plate while Kailey Robb led the way with a 3-3 day, but mines was unable to convert runners into runs despite having a 7-3 advantage in hits in game two.
 
The Tigers got things started in a big way in the bottom of the first, as each of the first three batters reached base before a two-run double, wild pitch and a sacrifice fly made it a 4-0 game. After a one-out double, a single back up the middle plated the fifth run of the inning before a foul out to first and flyout to center ended the inning.
 
Lauren Decker was able to reach base on an error in the second innings and after stealing her way around to third, looked to get Mines on the board, but a strikeout ended the inning and dashed the run scoring opportunity.
 
Kendall Aragon reached base with a one-out single in the third and stole second before advancing to third on a wild pitch on a dropped third strike, but once again the scoring opportunity for the Orediggers went by the wayside.
 
Cassidy Chvatal (1-8) turned in a scoreless second before FHSU was able to score a run in the sixth with a one-out sac fly to center followed a pair of a singles and a wild pitch.
 
Freshman Kat Miller took over in the circle with two on in the fourth inning but Fort Hays was still able to score twice to increase their lead to 8-0 and bring the run rule into effect. Needing a run to extend the game, Mines went down in order in the fifth as the first game of the day ended early.
 
Game two got started off in a more auspicious manner for Mines, managing to avoid the big inning that proved to be their undoing in game one as neither side was able to mount much on offense over the first three innings.
 
The Orediggers had an opportunity to strike first in the top of the third when Emilee Sloan and Renata Boyd reached base with back-to-back two out singles before each moving up 60 feet on a wild pitch, but Fort Hays pitcher Bailey Carlson was able to induce a pop up on the infield to escape the jam.
 
Starter Allison Westbrook (1-1) opened her first start of the season with three scoreless innings, leaving a baserunner in each but couldn't quite get out of the fourth unscathed, as a leadoff walk came in to score on a two-out, two-run home run to left field as FHSU took the lead.
 
Down a pair in the fifth, Mines looked to answer and was able to get a pair of one-out baserunners, as Ellaena Rodriguez and Kailey Robb both singled. Rodriguez was lifted for pinch runner Paige Dompier in a play to get more speed on the bases, but a fielder's choice force out at third erased Dompier as she was replaced on base by Sloan before the inning ended on another fielder's choice force out at second as once again the Orediggers were held off the scoreboard.
 
 
After two more scoreless frames from Westbrook, the Orediggers went to the seventh looking to rally and managed a two-out baserunner after Robb doubled to left, but a late rally wasn't in the cards as a groundout ended the afternoon.
 
NOTABLES
-Decker had her fifth game of the season with multiple stolen bases in game one and moved into a tie for fourth all-time in career stolen bases with 42 alongside Sarah Van Lingen (2008-11) and is now just three back of Kaleigh Starr and Paige Noehring in second with 45
-Aragon had the lone Mines hit in game one
-Five different players logged a hit in game two
-Robb's three-hit outing in game two is the fifth multi-hit game of her career and first since February 27 of last season against CSU Pueblo, which also happened to be a three-hit game
-Rodriguez collected her first hit of the season in game two
-Westbrook went the distance in her first career start, allowing just the two runs on three this while striking out one over six innings

LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers will wrap up their spring break road trip with two more games against Fort Hays Wednesday starting at 12 p.m. CT before returning home to Golden this weekend to play CSU Pueblo in a four-game set to continue RMAC play.
 
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.