FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Day two of the 2024 edition of the Colorado School of Mines softball team's trip to Florida saw them at the A.D. Griffin Sports Complex to take on fifth-ranked Nova Southeastern in doubleheader action. Big innings in both games turned out to be undoing for the Orediggers (2-2), finding themselves unable to match the offensive output of the Sharks (4-2) and being downed by scores of 10-2 in five innings and 9-1 in six innings.
 
The Sharks wasted no time jumping out front, getting a leadoff triple from Alexis Smith who scored two batters later on a double steal with Ryleigh Langwell taking second on the play. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, an RBI groundout by Gianna Russo and an RBI single by Alisha Lanyon made a 3-0 game. NSU added another run in the second as starting pitcher Alyssa Drogemuller helped her own cause with an RBI single to score Smith after she reached on a one-out double and make it 4-0.
 
Sara Larson laced a single to shallow centerfield to open the Mines third and become the first baserunner of the day for the Orediggers but was caught stealing shortly after on a strong throw from behind the plate. Hannah Roberts then reached with two outs after being hit by a pitch as Mines looked to rally with two outs, but a spectacular catch on the run behind third base by the shortstop ended the inning. Nova Southeastern threatened again in their half, getting back-to-back singles to put a pair on that eventually worked their way into scoring position, but Allison Westbrook (0-1) was able to work out of trouble and retire the next three batters to keep it a four-run game.
 
Sidney Wilson led off the fourth inning with a single back through the box to get the leadoff runner on for the second consecutive inning before Lexie Semeyn belted her third extra base hit in as many games, doubling straight down the line in left to put two in scoring position for the Orediggers. A walk to Kayleigh Krueger loaded the bases with no outs for Trystin Oshiro-Sano, who scored Wilson on a fielder's choice to second which saw Semeyn move up 60 feet to second and Krueger forced out on her way to second. Cassidy Chvatal continued her strong start to the season, belting a sacrifice fly to center to score the second run of the inning and make it 4-2. Larson followed up with her second hit of the day, singling the other way to right field before Kailey Morales was plunked first pitch to load the bases for the second time in the inning, but Drogemuller induced an infield popup to escape further damage.
 
NSU answered back in the bottom of the frame by loading the bases on a pair of single sandwiched around a walk and got a run on a sac fly from Madison Fine to move all runners up 60 feet. Westbrook looked like she might be able to escape another jam following a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but a two-run double by Lanyon made it a 7-2 game and brought a call to the bullpen for Mines. Freshman Ellen Shull took over in the circle looking to get out of the inning and after some tense moments following two walks to load the bases, a flyout to right field ended the threat.
 
Wilson worked her way on base again in the fifth with one out, this time on a high chopper to the left side of the infield as she legged it out down the line to beat the throw. After a lineout to left, Krueger lined a single the other way up the right field line as Wilson went first to third and put runners at the corners, but nothing came of it as another popup ended the inning. Heading to the bottom of the inning, Nova Southeastern made quick work of ending the game early, getting an RBI single and a two-run double to take the opener in five innings by a score of 10-2.
 
Game two opened with freshman Kellan Ton slapping one the other way through the left side for the first hit of her collegiate career as she was joined on base by Sidney Wilson by way of a walk before Kendall Aragon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners up 60 feet. Lexie Semeyn dug in and lined a single the other way to right that scored Ton for the first run of the day, but any hopes of a big inning were dashed when a lineout to short doubled off Semeyn at first.
 
After a scoreless second inning, NSU took the lead on a two-run home run by Alexis Smith out to left field, but Cassidy Chvatal (0-1) was able to limit the damage and work around two additional baserunners in the inning to keep it a 2-1 game.
 
In the fifth, the Sharks used the longball once again to score, getting a two-run shot to left from Brenna Lokeinsky with one out to make it a 4-1 contest and send the Orediggers back to the bullpen, Kat Miller came on to work and looked to get out of the inning without further damage. After getting a foul out to first for the second out, an error allowed another run to score before the umpires overturned what would have been an inning -ending groundout to shortstop, ruling the batter safe following a preliminary out call that allowed another run to score and make it 6-1. That call allowed the inning to continue as an additional two runs ended up coming across before a flyout to right field finally ended the inning, but not before the score moved to 8-1 in favor of NSU.
 
Moving to the sixth with the game in jeopardy of ending early once more, Mines did manage a baserunner when Semeyn worked a one-out walk but was left stranded as it Nova Southeastern who scored the final run of the game with a two-out double to right field to again win in a shortened game by a score of 9-1.
                                         
NOTABLES
-Wilson went 2-3 in the opener with a run scored
-Larson went 2-2 in game one
-Krueger posted a 1-2 performance in the opener
-Semeyn went 1-3 with a double and run scored and 1-2 with an RBI and a walk in game two
-Ton went 1-3 with a run scored in game two after recording the first hit of her collegiate career
-Aragon bounced back after being held hitless in the opener by going 1-2 with a sac bunt in game two
-Oshiro-Sano went 2-3 in game two for her first multi-hit game of the season
-Chvatal's RBI on the sacrifice fly in game one was her first run driven in since April 29, 2022 against Black Hills State, a period spanning 652 days
-Shull became the fifth different Oredigger to make their collegiate debut this weekend, coming on in relief in game one and working 0.2 innings in the shortened game
-Emily Rogers and Sam Whisenand each made their first career starts in game two at designated player and in right field respectively
 
UP NEXT
Mines wraps up their Florida trip Sunday with an 11 a.m. ET start for doubleheader action against Barry in Miami Shores.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines softball on X at @MinesSoftball and on Instagram at @mines_sb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, X and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.