GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Looking to shake off a pair of late-game losses Saturday, the Colorado School of Mines softball team was back in action Sunday for their final two games of the weekend against Colorado Mesa. Despite home runs on the afternoon from Lexie Semeyn and Cassidy Chvatal, the Orediggers (5-17, 4-7) came out on the wrong end of the scoreboard in both games as the Mavericks (10-8, 8-4) took the doubleheader by scores of 5-1 and 10-2 in five innings to end the weekend.
 
CMU got on the board first to open the action in their half of the first inning. Myah Arrieta laced double to right center before advancing to third on lineout to center. She subsequently scored on a wild pitch before Ellen Shull (0-2) worked around her second walk of the inning to get a foul out to right field and strand two runners to end the inning.
 
Chloe Valdez doubled the Mavericks' lead in the third as she left the yard on a 3-2 count with two outs to centerfield to make it a 2-0 game. Chvatal looked to get Mines on the board in the top of the fourth with a well-struck ball to straightaway center, but with the wind blowing straight in it didn't quite have enough muscle to get over the fence as it was hauled in for the final out of the inning.
 
Kat Miller took over in relief in the bottom of the fourth with two on and two out against the top of the lineup for Colorado Mesa and after walking the bases loaded, danced out of danger with a fielder's choice force out at second to end the inning.
 
Semeyn wasted no time leading off the fifth inning, unloading on the first pitch she saw and driving it the other way to right center for a solo home run to cut the lead to 2-1. After a lineout to right field, Lindy French lined a single back up the middle before Kiyana Tsuei was hit on a pitch up and in to put two runners on and give the Orediggers their best scoring chance of the day. Unfortunately, that chance went by the wayside as a fielder's choice resulted in a force out at second base before Kellan Ton lined out to third for the final out.
 
CMU then plated three runs in their half of the fifth as Ally Distler and Valdez reached to leadoff before Makayla Westmoreland hit a two-run double to left center. Miller looked to limit the damage with a flyout and a strikeout, but a wild pitch allowed Westmoreland to cross and make it a 5-1 game.
 
The Orediggers left a runner in the top of the sixth before Miller bounced back with a 1-2-3 frame in the home half to keep it a four-run game going to the seventh. Kailey Morales led off things off with her second hit of the day, singling back up the middle before Sam Whisenand took over running at first base. After a strikeout, Hannah Roberts delivered a pinch hit single through the left side of the infield to keep the line moving. Unfortunately, the momentum failed to carry to the next two batters in the inning as Jessalyn Gallegos closed things out to secure the series win for the Mavericks.
 
Emiaj Self and Cassidy Chvatal both singled in the top of the first for Mines in the finale but ended up stranded after a strikeout. CMU saw Arreita worked a leadoff walk and navigate the bases before coming home to score on a double steal of second and home with one out to take the early lead.
 
Kendall Aragon looked to lead a response by the Orediggers in the second as she doubled the other way down the left field line before moving up to third on a wild pitch to begin to the frame. Hannah Roberts made good on cashing in as she delivered her second hit of the afternoon, going back up the middle to score Aragon and tie the game at 1-1. After advancing to second on a groundout and a flyout, Kellan Ton singled to shallow center with two outs as Roberts was thrown out at the plate trying to take the lead to end the inning.
 
The Mavericks came right back with three runs in the home second as Brynn Escobar led off with a double to right center before Khloe Kubitschek coaxed a walk. Jackie Oster then singled down the left field lined to score a run and after a flyout to left and a fielder's choice force at second, Distler doubled home a pair with a ball to centerfield to make it a 4-1 game.
 
Cassidy Chvatal made a statement in the third inning as she took an 0-2 offering from reliever Sophia Tassinari the other way to right field, punching through the wind for a solo home run to cut the deficit to 4-2. Taylor Wayne (3-5) did a good job working out of potential trouble in the bottom of the inning as Westmoreland walked and stole second to open the inning. She was then called out on runner interference on a ball off the ball of Gallegos for the first out of the inning before Escobar single to shortstop to put two runners one. Wayne battled back to get a lineout to left before a force at third dashed CMU's hopes of adding to their lead with two runners left on base in the third.
 
After Mines left a runner in the fourth, CMU erupted for five runs in the bottom of the inning. Following an error to leadoff, an RBI double to center by Arrieta made it 5-2. Wayne managed a flyout for the first out of the inning, but after back-to-back singles and another run Kat Miller made her second appearance of the afternoon looking record the final two outs. A seventh run scored on a wild pitch to the first batter she faced while the eighth came home on an RBI groundout to second before the scoring finished with double to right center as Colorado Mesa extended their advantage to 9-2.
 
In danger of being run ruled, the Orediggers got a leadoff baserunner in the fifth as Self collected her second hit of the game, but the scoring chance failed to materialize. Meanwhile the Mavericks ended the action early as an RBI single following a pair of walks to open the frame finished brought the eight-run rule into effect with a final score of 10-2.
 
NOTABLES
-Semeyn belted her sixth home run of the season and 13th of her career in game one
-Chvatal hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season and 17th of her career in game two and needs just one more big fly to tie her total from all of 2024 as she became the first Oredigger to 20 RBI this year
-Self had a fine afternoon at the dish, hitting safely in each game on her way to a 3-6 day including a 2-3 outing in game two; she's now hit safely in six of her last seven games
-Morales went 2-3 in the opener for her fourth multi-hit outing of the season
-Roberts went 2-3 for the afternoon, delivering pinch hit single in game one before going 1-2 with an RBI in game two
-Tsuei made her first career starts Sunday, getting the call at second base in both games as she reached in game one via hit by pitch
 
UP NEXT
The Orediggers are back on the road next weekend but will be staying closer to home as they make the trip downtown to take on MSU Denver in a four-game series March 8-9.
 
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.