CONROE, Texas – The Colorado School of Mines softball team got their 2025 season underway Friday at the DII First Pitch Invitational against the first two of five Texas opponents this weekend, taking on Texas A&M International and St. Mary's (TX). The Orediggers (0-2) played well across the course of 14 innings, but were denied the win in closely contested ballgames, dropping the opening to the Dustdevils (2-0) 8-7 before falling to the Rattlers (1-1) 11-7.
 
Game one saw the Dustdevils get back-to-back singles to open things up, but Ellen Shull worked her way out of the early trouble to throw a zero on the board to open her first career start. After Mines left a runner in their half of the first, TAMIU scored two runs on a two-out double to left by Azalea Ramos to take the early lead.
 
After nothing doing for either side in the third, the Orediggers took the lead in the home third. Kellan Ton singled to get the rally going and was joined on base by Kendall Aragon following a walk. An error by the defense on a sacrifice attempt by Lexie Semeyn saw Ton scoot around and score from second and put Aragon and Semeyn in scoring position. Following a flyout, Hannah Roberts delivered a two-run single the other way to right to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Allison Westbrook (0-1) took over in the circle to start the fourth inning, but ran into trouble right away as a single, walk and an error loaded the bases. A grand slam by Victoria Gonzales flipped the lead back to 6-3 Dustdevils as Westbrook limited the damage by retiring the next three in order.
 
TAMUI added two more in the fifth as again Westbrook ran into some trouble as three of the first four batter in the inning reached to load the bases with one out. Kat Miller took over as the third pitcher of the day for Mines and induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, but not before two runs came across to make it an 8-3 game.
 
Miller worked around two baserunners in the sixth to hang a zero and give Mines a chance in the final innings to rally. In the bottom of the frame, Kailey Morales drew a leadoff walk and was lifted for pinch runner Sam Whisenand. E Self worked a walk before Lindy French delivered a pinch hit single up the middle to load the bases. Grace Weiler drove in the first run of her career in her debut game, but one was all the Orediggers got to make it 8-4.
 
A clean top of the seventh set the stage for a comeback as Semeyn and Cassidy Chvatal both reached on walks to get things going. After a popout to third, Morales re-entered and laced a two-run double to left, scoring Semeyn and pinch runner Emily Rogers before scoring herself on the first career hit by Self to make it 8-7. Weiler reached on an error with two outs to put the winning run on base, but TAMIU was able to escape the game with a groundout to first following a walk by Ton to load the bases and collect the win.
 
Game two saw the return of Taylor Wayne (0-1) in the circle as she worked a 1-2-3 inning in her first appearance since May 5, 2023 in the RMAC Tournament. Kellan Ton came around to score the first run of the game in the bottom half as she led off the inning with a hit by pitch before advancing around on a Kendall Aragon single and two wild pitches.
 
Wayne left a runner in the second before the Orediggers hung a crooked number to make it a five-run game. Lindy French singled up the box and was followed on base by a walk from Grace Weiler. Ton singled to left to load the bases and after a fielder's choice force out at home kept the bases loaded, Lexie Semeyn coaxed a walk to force home a run. Cassidy Chvatal followed with a single to left for another run as Hannah Roberts and Emily Rogers each brought in a run with a free pass to make it 5-0.
 
Undeterred, St. Mary's rallied for six runs in the top of the third with a two-run single and a two-run triple providing the fireworks in the inning. A sac fly by Aragon briefly leveled the score at six the next half inning, but the Rattlers scored four more times in the fourth punctuated with a two-run single to take a 10-6 lead.
 
Chvatal led off the next half with a triple to left center before coming around to score on a single from Roberts to cut the lead to three. Wayne battled back to put the big inning behind her and kept the Orediggers in contention, leaving five on base over the next two innings before St. Mary's added a run following a leadoff triple in the top of the seventh.
 
Aragon and Roberts both reached in the final frame of the day, looking to spark another rally but it wasn't to be as a groundout to shortstop closed the book on an 11-7 loss.
 
NOTABLES
-French dazzled in her collegiate debut, showing no signs of nerves as she went 5-5 across the two games with a run scored
-Ton went 4-8 with three runs scored and a double
-Morales went 2-3 with a double and two RBI
-Roberts dove in four behind a two-hit day and worked three free passes
-Eight different players drove in a run Friday
-Four different players made their Mines debuts, as French, Weiler, Self and Mia Lopez all saw acton
-Miller worked 2.2 scoreless innings of relief and recorded a strikeout while allowing just two hits to nine batter faced
-Shull went three innings in her first career start, scattering eight hits and allowing two runs in a no-decision
-Wayne went the distance in her first outing since the 2023 season, posting four strikeouts over her seven innings of work
 
UP NEXT
Mines faces their first Top 25 opponents of the season Saturday, taking on #11 Angelo State at 1:30 p.m. CT followed by UT Tyler at 4 p.m. CT.
 
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.