LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Under overcast skies Thursday morning, the Colorado School of Mines softball team opened their postseason campaign at All-Star Park with their third matchup in the last six days against Colorado Mesa in the first game of the weekend at the 2023 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Softball Tournament but came out on the wrong side in a briskly paced game, falling by a final score of 4-2.
The Orediggers (25-25) were held off the board for the first four-plus innings until
Aubree Karraker connected on a two-run home run to left field, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Mavericks (29-21), who hit three home runs of their own in over the third and fourth innings as they outlasted Mines in the tournament opener.
Sidney Wilson singled for the Orediggers in the top of the first to reach with the first hit of the game, but nothing came of it as CMU was able to work out of the inning before
Sadriena Rodriguez (14-3) struck out a pair in the home half in her first postseason action since May 14 of 2021.
Rodriguez had to work around some one-out trouble in the second inning before Mines managed a pair of two-out baserunners in the third when
Kendall Aragon and
Hannah Roberts both reached base, but unfortunately nothing came of the opportunity as a lineout to centerfield ended the frame. The Mavericks got a leadoff double down the line in left field to open the inning and after a pair of pop ups on the infield, Rodriguez looked to work out of another jam but the team who hit the most home runs in the RMAC in 2023 added another to that tally with a two-run home run to left field to make it 2-0.
After the Orediggers went down in order in the fourth CMU added two more runs right away in the bottom of the inning with back-to-back solo home runs by the first two batters to double their lead to 4-0.
Heading to the fourth,
Lauren Decker reached with a one-out single through the left side to set the table for Karraker, who turned around a first-pitch offering out to left field for a two-run home run of her own to make it a two-run game once again.
Taylor Wayne, who came on in relief in the fourth, worked a 1-2-3 frame in each of the fifth and sixth innings as she kept the Orediggers within striking distance heading to the top of the seventh.
Trystin Oshiro-Sano led off the inning with a 3-2 walk before being lifted for pinch runner
Paige Dompier. After a lineout to left field, Karraker dropped a single in between defenders in right field to put runners at first and second to turn the lineup back over, but a bit of bad luck dashed any hopes of a rally as a hard-hit ball right to third base for CMU resulted in a game-ending 5-3 double play as the Mavericks emerged with the 4-2 win.
NOTABLES
-Karraker's home run was her second of the season and is now tied for the team lead this season
-The Oredigger catcher had two of Mines' six hits in the game and recorded her 10th multi-hit game of the season
-Wayne continued her recent run of strong outings in the circle, working three innings of one-hit relief as she has now allowed one run in her last 12.2 innings pitched
-Four other players recorded a hit in the game for Mines, led by Roberts who finished 1-2 with a walk
-Aragon went 1-4 in the game to extend her hitting streak to 12 games, while Wilson finished 1-3
-Decker also went 1-3 and came around to score on the two-run shot by Karraker
-Rodriguez worked into the fourth inning in the tournament opener and was charged with the loss for the first time since March 12
LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers will look to extend their season against third-seeded Regis in the second elimination game of the day Friday scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at All-Star Park.
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.
