LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Opening up their final series of the season away from home Saturday, the Colorado School of Mines softball team took on New Mexico Highlands in the first two games of the penultimate series of the regular season and came up short in both games, falling in a marathon 11-inning opening game of the weekend 1-0 before being downed by a big inning late in game two 5-2.
The Orediggers (22-23, 21-15) were stymied at the plate all afternoon long, struggling to find timely hits with runners on base to back up solid performances in the circle, while the Cowgirls (19-26, 13-22) were able to take better advantage of their opportunities, improving to 5-1 over their last six games with the sweep Saturday.
To say offense was at a premium for most of the day might be the understatement of the season. mines looked poised to pick up in the top of the first in game one right where they left off last weekend, as following a
Sidney Wilson walk, the Orediggers had runners at first and second for the heart of the order at the plate, but were unable to make anything materialize on offense.
Sadriena Rodriguez worked around a leadoff walk to post a scoreless first as the teams unknowingly settled in to what would become a marathon series opener.
Both teams exchanged zeros on the scoreboard inning after inning as both starting pitchers were locked in, and despite allowing some traffic on the bases, were able to pitch themselves out of trouble. NMHU looked to get on the board first against Mines starter
Sadriena Rodriguez in the home fourth. A leadoff walk was followed by a double to left field, but a strong relay from
Renata Boyd and
Sidney Wilson to
Aubree Karraker was able to cut down the run at the plate to keep the action scoreless.
Hannah Roberts singled for the Orediggers in the fifth but it didn't amount to anything as the teams continued to search for the first run of the day.
After a scoreless sixth, the Cowgirls had visions of winning the game in the home seventh, as a leadoff hit by pitch put the winning run on base. Following a fielder's choice that saw a force out at second, a single to left put runners at first and second with one out, but Rodriguez was able to work out of danger getting a popout and a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.
There were no changes to the score over the next three frames as neither side was able to muster any kind of offense at the plate. After spinning over 170 pitches in eight innings of work, Rodriguez was lifted in the bottom of the ninth as
Lauren Decker (1-3) came on from centerfield to work in the circle, working a pair of 1-2-3 innings before NMHU finally broke through in the 11th. A leadoff double and a passed ball put the winning run just 60 feet away at third for Ariana Ramirez, who ended the game with a single to right center as the Cowgirls took the opener 1-0.
It took just two innings of game two to match and then surpass the offensive output from game one, as Mines struck first on a two-out double by
Kailey Morales to score
Sara Larson from first. Unfortunately, New Mexico Highlands was able to answer back in the home half, as the game one winner and game two starting pitcher Ramirez left the yard to lead off the inning and draw the score back even at 1-1.
More zeros followed on the scoreboard as both teams went down in order in the third before each stranding runners in scoring position in the fourth.
Renata Boyd singled with two outs for Mines before being joined on base by Larson before NMHU got a double and a walk with two outs but likewise couldn't cash in.
Despite both teams continuing to put runners on base, neither had much luck being able to find a timely hit to do any damage until the bottom of the sixth, when the Cowgirls cashed in a leadoff double with a single to right center to take their first lead of the game at 2-1 against starter
Allison Westbrook (5-2). Ramirez continued her hot day at the plate for the home team against reliever
Cassidy Chvatal, welcoming her to the game by leaving the yard for the second time in the afternoon, this time of the two-run variety to right center to make it 4-1. A single and two groundouts later, Mines looked poised to get out of the inning but an error resulted in another run coming across to score and make it 5-1 New Mexico Highlands.
The Orediggers looked to rally in the ninth as
Lauren Decker reached base on a one-out error before coming around to score on a two-out single by
Kendall Aragon to close to within 5-2 before
Hannah Roberts singled to put runners at the corners and bring the tying run to the plate, but a flyout to left wrapped things up as Highlands took game two.
NOTABLES
-Rodriguez went eight innings and took a no-decision in the start just her sixth of the season and first since March 5, snapping a nine-game winning streak, while striking out eight while allowing just four hits
-Aragon led the way at the plate, going 3-8 with and RBI over the course of two games
-Roberts had a hit in each game to extend her hitting streak to six games and has now hit safely in 13 of the last 14 games
-Larson went 3-7 on the day with a pair of hits and a run scored in game two
-Morales' double was her second extra-base hit of the season and drove in her fourth run of 2023
-As far as the playoff picture goes, Mines remains in fifth place in the RMAC standings ahead of Fort Lewis while at the time of this article, also still in front of Chadron State who took game one of their series against UCCS in a late-afternoon start
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will close out the weekend against NMHU Sunday before returning to Golden April 28-29 to conclude the regular season against Colorado Mesa.
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.
