SPEARFISH, S.D. – After a mixed bag of results Thursday, the Colorado School of Mines softball team looked to end the series on the right note Friday in their final two games against Black Hills State. In game one, a lack of timely hitting and a bevvy of runners left on base was the Orediggers' (18-16, 14-12) undoing in a 2-1 loss while in game two they rapped out a season-high 20 hits to earn a series split with the Yellow Jackets (12-19, 11-15) with a 13-6 win the finale.
 
Mines had a chance to get on the board early with back-to-back singles by Kellan Ton and Kendall Aragon in the first, but the scoring chance went by the wayside as BHSU as the duo were left in scoring position. After a 1-2-3 second for both sides, the Orediggers again had a chance to score with Ton and Sidney Wilson posting hits in the third to put runners at the corners, but again nothing came of the chance as a fly out to right ended the inning.
 
Meanwhile Black Hills State was able to get on the board with a two-out solo home run to left center by the leadoff batter in the order Lily Simmons who is known more for her speed than her power as they took the lead 1-0.
 
Both sides left a runner in the fourth before Mines posted an answer in the fifth, but ultimately left runs on the table in what could have been a big inning. Hannah Roberts singled to lead things off and was lifted for a pinch runner in Sam Whisenand, who ended up getting forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Aragon two batters later for the second out of the inning. Wilson sparked a rally with a single as Aragon advanced to third before Sara Larson drew a walk to load the bases. Lexie Semeyn stood in and singled back up the middle to tie the game but a flyout to center resulted in just one run in the inning.
 
Sadriena Rodriguez (9-6) got two quick outs in the home fifth, but a single and a walk put two runners aboard for the Yellow Jackets as they looked to regain the lead but a groundout to second put that thought on hold for the time being. Unfortunately for the Orediggers, it only took another inning for BHSU to regain the edge as a leadoff triple to right field put the go-ahead run in scoring position right away as the second batter of the inning lofted a fly ball to right that was deep enough for the run to score to regain the lead 2-1 as Rodriguez retired the final two batters of the inning in order.
 
Needing a run in the seventh to draw back even, the inning got off to an ominous start with two quick outs before Wilson singled through the left side to give some hope of two-out magic. An error out at second base allowed Larson to reach before Semeyn drew a walk to load the bases, but once again Black Hills State was able to escape danger, getting a flyout to right center to end it as the Orediggers left 11 runners on bases in a 2-1 setback.
 
Looking to avoid just their second series loss of the season, the Orediggers came out with some urgency in the finale, scoring a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Sidney Wilson that scored Kellan Ton after she led the game off with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a single by Kendall Aragon. Allison Westbrook got the start in the circle and worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the first as the offense went right back to work in the second. Hannah Roberts and Sam Whisenand both singled with one out before an infield pop up for the second out looked to dash the rally. Aragon had other intentions as she stood in and single back through the box to drive in a run and make it a 2-0 game.
 
In the bottom of the inning, three of the first four batters reach for the Yellow Jackets to load the bases with one out before an RBI single got them on the board. Westbrook got an infield pop of her own out to second and looked to escape the inning before things got out of hand, nut a two run double to right field by Simmons saw BHSU take the lead. Freshman Ellen Shull came on in relief and after giving up a two-run single to the first batter she faced, got a lineout to first to end the inning but not before five runs ended up coming across.
 
Mines got a couple of two-out baserunners in the third as Kayleigh Krueger and Emily Rogers both drew walks, but a groundball ended the inning as a lack of timely hitting continued to plague the offense. In the home half, Sadriena Rodriguez (10-6) returned to the circle following a leadoff double but was unable to strand the runner as another double two batters later made it a 6-2 lead for BHSU.
 
Staring down an unenviable result, the Orediggers flipped a switch in the fourth, starting with a leadoff home run to right center by the freshman Whisenand to turn the lineup back over to Ton who singled and promptly stole second before scoring on a double by Aragon to left center. After flyout to left, Sara Larson reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners before stealing second herself to put two in scoring position for Lexie Semeyn, who delivered a sac fly out to center to drive in another run and make it 6-5 before a groundout ended the frame.
 
Looking to keep momentum on their side Rodriguez went to work and threw up a zero in the bottom half, working around a two-out walk to send her offense back to the dish in the fifth. Rogers got things going with a single through the left side and after flyout to right, stole second to get into scoring position. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Ton delivered like she has been in recent weeks with a single back up the middle to tie the game at 6-6. BHSU attempted to respond in their half as Ashlynn Pauwels singled to right field with one out, but again Rodriguez was nails as she got a pair of flyout to end the inning.
 
Now in a brand-new ballgame with the score even and riding momentum, Mines looked to keep things going in the sixth. Wilson led the frame off with a single to left center and was joined on base by Larson with a bunt single before Semeyn reached on a throwing error at third to load the bases for Krueger, do lined a single through the right side to score a pair give the Orediggers their first lead of the game at 8-6 and force pitching change for BHSU as Thursday's game one starter Shayla Tuschen came on in relief of Malaya Coleman. Rogers was the first batter to greet her and didn't waste time in doing so, blasting a three-run home run out to left to make it an 11-6 game with still no outs in the inning. Roberts and Whisenand kept it going with a pair of singles and after a popped up bunt attempt and a pop up to short saw two quick outs, a passed ball set the table for Wilson's second at bat of the inning as the senior shot one into center to score both runners and make it 13-6 before a flyout ended things two batters later.
 
Rodriguez, likely still sore about coming out on the wrong end of the pitcher's duel in game one, got a quick out in the home sixth but ran into some trouble as the next three batters reached for BHSU on a pair of singles and a walk to load things up. Despite the jam, the California native dug deep and got out of trouble with an infield pop up and force out at second to throw up another zero.
 
After leaving one in the top of the seventh on a leadoff double by Krueger, the Orediggers looked to make quick work of things in the bottom of the inning and Rodriguez managed to do just that, getting a pair of flyout and a groundout to wrap up the series with a win and split heading into the Easter holiday.
 
NOTABLES
-After coming out on the wrong end of a pitcher's duel in game one where she went six innings, struck out four and allowed just six hits, Rodriguez was nails in the finale, working five shutout innings in relief and allowing only four hits to post her second season with double-digit wins and move past Sydney Marchando (2018-21) for fifth on the all-time wins list with 32
-Larson posted the first four-hit game of her career in game two, going 4-5 with a stolen base and run scored while reaching base on a walk in game one
-Wilson led the way in game one going 3-4 and posted a 2-4 effort with three RBI in game two for her second such performance of the year and has now hit safely in 10 of the last 10 games; she's up to 20 RBI on the season and has now driven in 20 or more in each of the last three seasons and now has 87 in her career
-Rogers belted her first collegiate home run and posted her first career multi-hit game, going 2-4 with two runs scored and three RBI
-Ton went 2-4 in both games and in game two logged an RBI, two runs scored and a season-high three stolen bases, bringing her season total to 14 with nine of those coming since March 20 and now finds herself one shy of tying for ninth all-time in single season swipes
-Whisenand also blasted her first collegiate home run in the winning effort as the designated player in the finale, posting her first multi-hit effort by going 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored
-The freshman trio of Rogers, Ton and Whisenand accounted for 11 of the 13 runs scored by Mines in the finale and combined to go 7-13 with two home runs, six runs scored, five RBI and four stolen bases
-Despite seeing her seven-game hitting streak ended in the opener, Krueger bounced back to go 2-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in the finale to being her season RBI count to 17 and career count to 107, now one back of Sara Lustgraaf (2009-12) for 12th all-time and is four away from cracking the top 10
-Krueger's game two double was the 36th of her career at Mines, tying her for 10th all-time in program history with Deborah Ausmus (1993-95)
-Semeyn drove in a run and walked while going 2-3 in game one and now has 40 RBI in her career
-Aragon finished the series 4-9 with two RBI and two runs scored including a 3-5 performance in the finale adding to her team-leading RBI total of 22 and is up to 36 RBI and 46 runs in her career
-All nine starters scored a run in the finale for Mines while eight of nine hit safely and all recorded at least two hits
-The 20 hits in the game are the most by the Orediggers this season and the first 20-hit game since April 20, 2009 when they rapped out 23 in a 14-2 win at Chadron State
-As a team the Orediggers now have 11 home runs on the season, seven shy of their best mark in the Coutts era which was 18 back in 2022
 
UP NEXT
Mines plays their penultimate road series of the season next weekend when they travel to CSU Pueblo for four games April 6-7 to begin the new month.
 
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.