GOLDEN, Colo. – Taking the field at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field Saturday for their first true home games of the season, the Colorado School of Mines softball team looked to get back into the win column with their fourth Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series of the season against New Mexico Highlands. With that objective in mind, the Orediggers (7-9, 4-6) set about doing just that, getting a strong pitching performance in the opener to back up a six-run outburst at the dish while in game two, overcame an early lead by the Cowgirls (5-10, 1-9), using a trio of big innings and pounding out six extra-base hits, rolling their way to a run rule shortened win to complete the sweep Saturday by scores of 6-0 and 12-4 in five innings.
 
Following a scoreless two innings in game one, Mines got on the board first in the third inning on a dropped fly ball error in center field off the bat of Sidney Wilson that allowed Kailey Morales to score after reaching on a one out single and advancing to second on a single by Kendall Aragon. Three more runs came home in fourth, as Kayleigh Krueger singled to right field to score pinch runner Sam Whisenand who took over at second following a leadoff double by Trystin Oshiro-Sano. Cassidy Chvatal followed with a triple into the right field corner to score Krueger before coming home herself on a squeeze bunt by Morales, beating the glove flip to the plate by the pitcher to make it 4-0.
 
In the home fifth, Oshiro-Sano tacked on another two runs with a double to the fence in center to score Lexie Semeyn and Wilson that made it a 6-0 game.
 
All those runs were more than enough for starter Sadriena Rodriguez (4-4), who dominated in the circle scattering five hits in her complete game effort while striking out 10 and working a pair of 1-2-3 innings as she left a pair in the seventh to close out the game one win for the Orediggers.
 
Game two saw New Mexico Highlands strike first, taking advantage of an error and struggles finding the strike zone by Cassidy Chvatal in the circle, with two runs scoring before Allison Westbrook (2-2) came on in relief to get the final two outs of the inning and leave the bases loaded to avoid further damage.
 
Mines managed to respond right away in their first at bats of the day, doing all their damage with two outs. Lexie Semeyn doubled to right center to score Kellan Ton who led the frame off with a bunt single. After an error off the bat of Trystin Oshiro-Sano kept the inning going, Sara Larson singled back through the box to tie things at 2-2 before Kayleigh Krueger tripled to right center and score Oshiro-Sano and Larson to take the lead 4-2.
 
Westbrook left two in the top of the second and two more in the third, allowing a one-out single along the way while waiting for the offense to get back going, which happened in the home third when Larson laced a sac fly down the right field line to bring Kendall Aragon across and make it a 5-3 game.
 
After a scoreless top of the fourth, the Orediggers hung up another crooked number in the bottom of the inning. A fielder's choice RBI off the bat of Sidney Wilson score Chvatal from third and after a single to center by Aragon, Semeyn split the right center gap again to bring home a pair before crossing home following a pitching change on a single by Oshiro-Sano that made it 9-3.
 
NMHU did get to Westbrook for another run in the fifth, singling to right field with two outs to try and avoid being run ruled as the score moved to 9-4. Unfortunately for the Cowgirls, that single run wasn't enough to stave off the inevitable as the Orediggers plated three more in their half of the inning to end things early. Chvatal doubled off the wall in center with one out to set the table before being lifted for pinch runner Emily Rogers. The freshman scored moments later on a single down the line in right by Hannah Roberts and make it 10-4. Following a walk by Ton and a popup to short, NMHU looked like they might be able to send things to the sixth, but Aragon had other ideas as after wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, she laced a double to deep right center to score both and cap a 12-4 win in five innings to complete the Saturday sweep.
 
NOTABLES
-Aragon went 2-4 in the opener and 3-4 with two runs scored and two RBI in game two
-Oshiro-Sano doubled twice in game one and drove in a pair while going 1-3 with an RBI and run scored in game two
-Semeyn went 3-6 on the afternoon including a 2-2 day with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored in game two
-Chvatal also went 3-6 and hit safely in each game, tripling home a run and scoring in game one and doubling twice in game two and scoring
-Ton went 2-3 in game two and scored twice
-Larson went 2-4 on the day with a double, two RBI and a run scored-
-Krueger went 1-3 in each game, driving in a run and scoring in the opener while tripling and driving in two in game two
-Rodriguez went the distance in the circle in the opener, spinning a five-hit shutout and striking out 10 against one walk
-Westbrook picked up the win in relief in game two, working the final 4.2 innings and allowing two unearned runs on five hits, walking two and striking out one
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers and Cowgirls will wrap up their four-game series Sunday with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
 
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.