FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Taking the field for their final two non-conference contests of the season Sunday morning, the Colorado School of Mines softball team squared off against #RV Nova Southeastern. Big innings were the Orediggers' (0-10) undoing in game one, falling 12-4 in six innings, while game two was an offensive shootout that saw the Sharks (8-3) pull away late to sweep the action by a final of 10-6.
 
A scoreless first inning saw both sides get traffic on the bases before NSU blew the game open with seven runs in the second. A leadoff home run got the Sharks going before a bunt single, error, stolen base and a walk put runners on the corners. Another bunt single accompanied by another Mines error saw another run come across. After Allison Westbrook (0-2) got the first out of the inning on a fly out to center, back-to-back singles loaded the bases and scored another run. Taylor Wayne then took over looking to get out of the inning but Nova Southeastern kept at it with a bases-loaded and a pair of run scoring singles to make it 7-0.
 
A scoreless third saw the Orediggers crack the scoreboard with a one-out single to centerfield by E Self that score Emily Rogers after she led off the inning with a hit by pitch. The Sharks responded and then some, scoring a trio of two-out runs on three singles to make it 10-1 and enter run-rule territory.
 
With their backs against it, Mines rallied to extend the game with three runs in the fifth. Aragon led off with a walk before being joined on base by Kiyana Tsuei thanks to an error in left. Emily Rogers then banged one off the wall in left to score two runs before scoring herself on a wild pitch to make it 10-4.
 
Kat Bauer kept it going in the sixth with a leadoff pinch hit single up to right center for her first career hit in her Mines debut before Self took back over running duties at first. Self was cut down at second trying move into scoring position moments before Grace Weiler laced one to centerfield for her first collegiate knock but nothing came of it as a flyout to shallow left by Kat Miller in her batting debut as an Oredigger ended the frame.
 
However, NSU scored twice more in the home sixth, pushing the margin back to eight and ending things early by a final score of 12-4.
 
Game two saw Kendall Aragon give Mines the lead with a one-out double to left center that allowed Emily Rogers to score with ease after she reached in an infield single. The Sharks came back with a two-out two-run double with bases loaded but Kat Miller (0-4) managed to limit the damage with a strikeout to end the inning.
 
Lindy French led the second off with a single to left before Lexie Semeyn reached thanks to an error in centerfield. Grace Weiler's sac bunt back to the circle was fielded cleanly but the throw sailed up the line into rightfield, allowing French to score. E Self followed with a single to left that plated Semeyn before an RBI groundout by Kellan Ton scored Weiler to make it 4-2 Orediggers. The fireworks continued in the bottom of the inning as four straight singles plated a run for the Sharks followed by a fielder's choice, an RBI double and a sac fly to make it 6-4.
 
NSU added another run with a two-out infield single in the third and after a scoreless fourth by reliever Ellen Shull, Mines got right back into contention in the fifth. Cassidy Chvatal worked a one-out walk before being lifted for pinch runner Sam Whisenand. Whisenand went first to third on a French single before a Semeyn walk loaded the bases. Weiler followed by delivering a two-run single to shallow center to make it a one-run game at 7-6. The Sharks responded by converting a leadoff single with a groundout to make it a two-run game again at 8-6.
 
Nova Southeastern added two more runs in the home sixth thanks to an RBI single and sac fly preceded by a single and an error. Heading to the seventh, Mines looked to rally but went down in order to close out the contest.
 
NOTABLES
-Aragon reached base three times in game one, going 2-2 with a walk while doubling home a run in game two
-Morales reached base twice with a single and a walk in game one
-Self drove in her third and fourth runs of the season on the afternoon, recording a hit in each game
-French went 2-4 with two runs scored in game two
-Weiler recorded her first multi-hit game in the finale, going 2-3 with a run and three RBI after recording her first career hit in game one
-Rogers' two RBI in the opener were her third and fourth of the season
-Tsuei, a mid-year addition to the program, made her collegiate debut in game one as a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth and scored her first run as an Oredigger
-Bauer and Ryen Herman also made their collegiate debuts in game one, pinch hitting to leadoff the top of the sixth
 
UP NEXT
RMAC play awaits the Orediggers next weekend as they'll head south down I-25 to Colorado Springs to take on UCCS February 15-16.
 
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.