GOLDEN, Colo. – Coming off a series-opening sweep Friday and their eyes on a series win Saturday, the Colorado School of Mines softball team lined up opposite MSU Denver twice more at the Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field and was able to complete that objective, winning the opener 4-3 on a walk-off single in extra innings to clinch the series, but couldn't quite complete the sweep, falling 6-3 in game two.
 
The Orediggers (18-21, 17-13) rallied from down 2-0 and 3-1 in the opener, tying the game with two runs in the bottom of the sixth with chances to win in the seventh and eighth innings before Kayleigh Krueger came through with the bases loaded in the ninth to record the win, while the finale saw the Roadrunners (26-15, 22-8) jump out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and never look back, tacking one two more runs over the final five frames and dashing a seventh inning rally attempt by Mines to avoid the sweep.
 
MSU Denver went up 2-0 right away in the first inning, as a leadoff walk was immediately followed by a triple to centerfield before the second run of the inning came across on a passed ball with one out.
 
Mines got a bounce back inning from Sadriena Rodriguez (10-2) in the second as she retired the side in order before the offense cashed in to get on the board, as Sara Larson reached on an error to lead off and came around to score on an RBI single back through the box by Trystin Oshiro-Sano to make it a one-run game.
 
After a 1-2-3 top of the third, the Roadrunners posted back-to-back doubles to begin the fourth and again made it a two-run game at 3-1. That score held as the Orediggers went down in order in the fourth and the fifth before rallying in the sixth to tie the game. Krueger started the action with a one-out double to left center and subsequently scored on a double by Sara Larson to make it 3-2. Renata Boyd singled down the left field line behind third base to put runners at the corners with one out as Oshiro-Sano stood in and delivered another run-scoring single back up the middle to tie the game at three before the inning came to an end.
 
Kendall Aragon led off the bottom of the seventh with a single as Mines looked to win followed a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, but Aragon ended up being stranded 60 feet away as the inning ended. Both Mines and MSU Denver had chances to plate the go-ahead or winning run in each of the next three half innings, but chances in the eighth and top of the ninth went by the wayside.
 
Moving to the bottom of the ninth, it was Aragon once again representing the winning run as she reached base with a one-out single for her fourth hit of the day before a Hannah Roberts single and an error allowed Sidney Wilson to reach and load the bases for Krueger. At the plate with the winning run at third for the second time in the last three innings, the junior from Littleton delivered this time, finding a hole through the right side of the infield on an 0-2 delivery for the walk-off winner to clinch the series with a 4-3 win.
 
In the finale, MSUD score twice in each of the first two innings against starter Taylor Wayne (2-6) and never looked back. A two-run single in the first made it 2-0 before an RBI groundout and an RBI triple to right center led to an additional two runs in the second inning. The fifth run of the game came across in the top of the fourth when a defensive miscue on a bunt allowed the runner from second to score and make it 5-0.
 
The Orediggers just couldn't settle into a rhythm at the plate in the game, being held hitless until the fourth inning when they collected two hits but came up empty on the scoreboard.
 
The sixth Roadrunner run of the game came in the fifth inning on what could have been a strike 'em out-throw 'em out double play to end the inning, but a miscommunication up the middle saw the throw sail into the outfield and allow the runner on third to score and make it a 6-0 game. Mines finally broke through for a run in the home half of the inning, as an RBI groundout by Kailey Morales plated Renata Boyd after a leadoff triple to make it 6-1.
 
After a scoreless sixth and top of the seventh, Mines looked to rally in an attempt to complete the weekend sweep. Defensive substitution Emilee Sloan led the inning by legging out a bunt single before scoring moments later on an RBI triple to right center by Sophie Furniss. After a pair of strikeouts, Furniss scored on an infield hit by Aragon off the glove of the pitcher to make it 6-3, but one final strikeout ended the afternoon as MSU Denver was able to take the finale.
 
NOTABLES
-Rodriguez became the first 10-game winner in a season for Mines since Sydney Marchando turned in a 16-win season in 2019, striking out six and allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits
-Aragon finished the day 6-8 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored highlighted by a 4-5 performance in game one
-Krueger went 2-5 with her team-leading 11th double, RBI and a run scored in the opener and now has driven in at least 27 runs in each of her first three seasons at Mines and now has 32 career doubles, posting double digits in that category last season and this season
-Oshiro-Sano went 2-4 in game one with two RBI and is now two shy of 25 for her career
-Wilson has now hit safely in each of the last eight games for Mines and has cleared 125 career hits
-Larson and Boyd each stole a base in game one and now have 14 apiece on the season, which is a career high for the former and five shy of the career high for the latter
-Allison Westbrook worked five innings of relief in game two and allow just two unearned runs on six hits while striking out a season-high four
-Wayne passed 100 career innings pitched with her start in game two
-Mines has now surpassed last season's RMAC win total of 16 and is now three away from the 20-win mark set in 2021

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will hit the road for the next two weeks, starting with a trip to Alamosa to take on Adams State next weekend April 14-15
 
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.