GOLDEN, Colo. – Looking to bounce back after a tough showing Saturday, the Colorado School of Mines softball team was back at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field Sunday to wrap up the first weekend of a two-week homestand with a doubleheader against Regis, and experienced both ends of the spectrum, losing 11-3 in the opener in a six-inning run-rule game before outlasting the visitors in a more than three hour game two, winning in 11 innings 7-6.
 
The Orediggers (8-10, 7-5) came up short in the opener as two big innings proved to be their undoing, before playing their third extra-innings game in the last week and earning a marathon win over the Rangers (12-10, 9-3) as Sara Larson played the hero with a walk-off RBI single to score Sidney Wilson to reward Allison Westbrook for a stellar appearance in relief in game two.
 
The Rangers stormed out of the gate in the opener, plating four runs in the first inning with a couple of RBI singles and a wild pitch before Mines scored a run on a Kayleigh Krueger RBI double to left that saw Wilson score all the way from first to make it 4-1.
 
Four more runs came across for Regis in the second with an RBI double, a run scoring E4, and RBI single and a sac fly as they held an 8-1 lead and looked poised to end things early.
 
Lauren Decker, who came on in relief in the first inning, retired the side in order in the third and worked around a one-out single in the fourth two work two scoreless innings before allowing a two-run single in the fifth to make it 10-1 as Regis threatened to end the game in a five-inning run rule.
 
The Orediggers mustered two runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the game, as Wilson doubled to right center to score Aubree Karraker before scoring on the second double of the game by Krueger to make it 10-3 and send the game to the sixth inning.
 
The Rangers did manage to bring the run rule back into play the next half inning with a two-out RBI single made it 11-3 as Mines was unable to trim the deficit in the home half as Regis took the opener and the series win by a final of 11-3.
 
Looking to avoid the sweep and end the weekend on a high note, Mines turned to Sadriena Rodriguez in the finale and backed her up with a big inning of their own in the second. After Regis was retired in order, Sara Larson led the home half off with a double and advanced to second on a groundout. After Lexie Semeyn reached on a walk, Lauren Decker plated Larson with an infield single for the first run of the game. After another walk loaded the bases and a fielder's choice by Kendall Aragon saw Regis get the force at home and be one out away from escaping danger, Aubree Karraker singled through the left side to score Decker before Wilson doubled down the line in left to score Hannah Roberts and Aragon to give the Orediggers their first lead since game one Saturday.
 
Rodriguez continued to pitch well, working a scoreless third inning before Regis was able to get on the board with an RBI double to start the fourth and make it 4-1. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, the fifth inning wasn't so kind as after getting the first two outs on seven pitches, the Rangers rallied for a four-run outburst of their own to take the lead 5-4 with a pair of RBI triples and a two-run single.
 
Held off the board in the bottom of the fifth, the Orediggers retook the lead in the sixth as Aragon singled to right field with one out to score the tying run in Decker, who led the inning off with an infield single. Aragon scored three batters later as with two outs, Krueger singled through the left side on a 2-2 count to regain the lead 6-5.
 
Cassidy Chvatal, who came on in relief of Rodriguez in the fifth, looked to wrap things up in the seventh, but Regis managed to tie things back up at 6-6 with an RBI single up the middle following a one-out double to left field. Allison Westbrook (1-0) took over in the circle with the winning run on base and was able to work out of trouble and give Mines a chance to win in the bottom of the inning.
 
Renata Boyd led off the frame with a walk and was able to advance to third after a flurry of pinch hitters came to the plate, but was unable to advance the final 60 feet as Regis was able to escape trouble and send the game to extra innings.
 
Both teams were able to get runners on in the extra frames, as the Rangers had at least one runner on in each inning, while Mines was managed a one in each the ninth and 10th innings, getting the go-ahead run as close as third but not being able to find that timely hit to end the game.
 
After Westbrook worked a scoreless 11th and navigated around a two-out walk, Sidney Wilson singled to left field and advanced to second on a defensive misplay by the outfielder to set up the Orediggers as the winning run. After a called third strike to Krueger, Larson stepped in and three pitches later stepped out, lacing a single to the left center gap to score Wilson from second as the Orediggers recorded a walk-off win for the second time this season, taking the series finale 7-6.
 
NOTABLES
-Aragon, Wilson and Krueger all recorded two hits each in the opener, with Wilson scoring twice and driving in a run and Krueger plating a pair
-Taylor Wayne (1-3) took the loss in game one, allowing four runs in 1/3 of an inning
-Decker worked 5 2/3 innings in relief and allowing seven runs, five earned, on eight hits
-Wilson and Decker each had three hits in the nightcap and combined for three RBI and three runs scored
-Karraker, Krueger and Larson all had two hits in game two and each drove in a run
-Aragon recorded a hit, scored twice and also drove in a run in the finale
-Rodriguez took a no-decision for the second time this weekend, working 4 2/3 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts
-Chvatal worked 1 1/3 innings of relief and was charged with a run on two hits
-Westbrook turned in yeoman's work in her second action of the weekend, working the final 4 2/3 innings and allowing only two runs and striking out a pair without allowing a run against a Regis lineup that scored 33 runs in the previous 25 innings

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines continues their eight-game home stand next weekend with a four-game set against Colorado Christian at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field March 11-12.
 
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.