GOLDEN, Colo. – After seeing their final weekend of the regular season shortened to just one day due to late-week thunderstorms and the resulting field conditions, the Colorado School of Mines softball team took the field at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field for the final time in 2023 against Colorado Mesa, earning a split on the day by scores of 3-0 in game one before dropping a close game two 6-5.
 
The Orediggers (25-24, 24-16) got another sterling performance in the circle in the opener by Sadriena Rodriguez who for the second week in succession was just one batter away from working a no-hitter and holding one of the top offenses in the country in check, while in the final game of the day, the Mavericks (28-21, 26-15) staged a seventh-inning rally to score four runs before holding on to earn a split to close out the action.
 
After Rodriguez (14-2) worked a 1-2-3 top of the first with two strikeouts, the Orediggers got on the board early a two-out single in the home half by Kayleigh Krueger to centerfield was mishandled by the outfielder and allowed Kendall Aragon to score from second after initially being held up at third to make it a 1-0 game.
 
Colorado Mesa's lone hit of the game came on a one-out bunt single in the top of the second to put runners at first and second, but once again back-to-back punchouts by Rodriguez ended the inning. Renata Boyd led off the home second with a single to right before beating the throw on a fielder's choice off the bat of Trystin Oshiro-Sano to put two on with no outs in the inning for Lauren Decker, who singled off the pitcher to load the bases. After a popup on the infield rolled the order over, Aragon singled a 3-1 pitch to left field despite a diving attempt from the outfielder to score Boyd and double the lead to 2-0, as the bases remained loaded on a throwing error on what would have been a force out at third kept the rally going. After a strikeout made it two outs in the inning, Sidney Wilson worked a full count walk with the bases juiced to force home another run and make it a 3-0 game.
 
Those three runs turned out to be all that Rodriguez needed, as she retired the next 10 Mavericks in order before a walk and an error put two runners in scoring position for CMU, but the senior from Imperial, California was able to punch her way off the ropes with a strikeout and a popup to shortstop to escape any potential trouble.
 
The Orediggers looked to add some insurance runs in the home sixth as Decker led off the inning before stealing second and being joined on base by Aragon with an infield single. A wild pitch put the duo in scoring position with just one out, but CMU was able to turn back Mines and keep it a 3-0 game.
 
Heading out for the seventh, Rodriguez looked to finish off another masterful start and was able to do just that, working her fifth 1-2-3 inning of the day to close out the seventh and secure the win.
 
Game two Saturday saw Colorado Mesa get on the board first in the top of the second, as a leadoff single was followed by a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt before the second hit of the inning allowed the run to score to take the early lead. Mines answered in kind in the bottom of the frame, as Kayleigh Krueger worked a walk before Sara Larson and Renata Boyd both singled to load the bases with no outs. Grace Gonzales was next up and despite hitting into a double play, Krueger did come across to score and tie the game before Ellaena Rodriguez put the Orediggers ahead with and RBI infield single to score Larson and make it 2-1.
 
Starter Allison Westbrook worked a scoreless top of the third inning before Mines tacked on another run in the home third on a two-out single to left by Larson that plated Hannah Roberts after she reached base with a one-out single.
 
Taylor Wayne came on in relief to start the fourth and worked herself into and out of trouble, leaving a pair of Mavericks on base before her offense put up another pair in the bottom of the inning. Gonzales drew a four-pitch walk to open the inning and after being lifted for pinch runner Paige Dompier, Rodriguez dropped down a sacrifice to advance Dompier to second. During the next at bat, Dompier caught CMU napping and was able to steal third on a throw behind her to second as there was some confusion on the infield. Now with another run potentially 60 feet away, Emilee Sloan lined a 2-0 offering down the line in left field that evaded a diving attempt by the leftfielder and rolled all the way out to the 220 sign on the fence, allowing Sloan to race all the way around the bases for the most exciting play in softball for a two-run inside-the-park home run to make it 5-1 Mines.
 
Colorado Mesa tagged Wayne for a run in the fifth on a one-out single to left, but the sophomore responded by inducing a 6-3 double play to end the inning before going on to work a scoreless seventh.
 
Cassidy Chvatal (1-10) came on to work the seventh and after just two batters in the inning, found herself in a one-run game as a leadoff walk followed by a home run to left made it 5-4. The sophomore was able to get a groundout on the next batter for the first out of the inning, but a hit by pitch and a walk put the tying and go-ahead runs on base as Westbrook re-entered the game in the circle looking to potentially earn the save in a game in which she was the starting pitcher. Unfortunately, a walk to the first batter she faced loaded the bases and was followed by a sac fly to left that tied the game up at 5-5. One batter later, the go-ahead run scored on an infield single to third as the throw was mishandled at first base and rolled toward the outfield grass as the Mavericks retook the lead 6-5.
 
Lauren Decker seemed to start the home seventh off with an infield single, but was called out for being out of the box as CMU was able to get a strikeout and a diving catch on a hard hit liner headed for left center to end the game and earn a split on the day.
 
NOTABLES
-Sadriena Rodriguez lowered her ERA to 1.90 for the season and surpassed the 140-strikeout mark on the year as she spun her fifth shutout of the year and registered her fourth game with at least 10 strikeouts
-Rodriguez is now eight strikeouts away from tying current assistant coach Libby Balogh for the sixth-most in a season all-time at 148
-Decker went 2-3 in game one and tied the Mines single-season stolen base record of 24, set by Brinley Benson in 2011
-Boyd also went 2-3 in game one with a run scored and went 1-3 in game two
-Larson finished the day 4-6 with a pair of 2-3 showings that included a pair of stolen bases in game one and a run and an RBI in game two
-Westbrook worked a total of 3.2 innings in game two, striking out a pair and allowing just one run on five runs
-Wayne continued her strong pitching in recent weeks, going three innings and allowing a run on six hits
-Wilson's double in game two was the 26th of her career and 12th of the season to lead the team
-Ellaena Rodriguez drove in her first run of the season on Senior Day in game two
-Sloan's inside-the-park home run was the second of her career and second in as many seasons as she has now driven in 11 runs in her career
-Mines rapped out 19 hits over the course of the doubleheader with 11 coming in game one marking the 17th game this season with double-digit hits
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines now turns their attention to the 2023 RMAC Softball Championship hosted by Colorado Christian at All-Star Park beginning Thursday May 4. The Orediggers earned the fifth seed in this year's edition of the event and will be the visiting team in the opening round against fourth-seeded Colorado Mesa in a contest scheduled for 9 a.m.
 
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.