GOLDEN, Colo. – Coming off a sweep to start the series Friday and facing an early bird start due to impending weather, the Colorado School of Mines softball team looked to finish things strong Saturday against Black Hills State in the final two games from Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field. Once more the visitors for both games, the Orediggers (11-27, 10-17) weren't able to complete the sweep falling 8-7 on a late home run in the opener before scoring first and never looking back in the finale, dispatching the Yellow Jackets (19-17, 17-11) by a score of 7-2 for their second series win of the season.
 
Black Hills state scored first in game one, taking a 7-0 lead after three innings against starter Ellen Shull and reliever Taylor Wayne. An RBI double by Desi Hernandez and an Ashlynn Pauwels single in the first resulted in two runs before four more came in the second on a pair of doubles bracketed by two singles to make it 6-0. BHSU stretched the lead to seven with an RBI single to left by Carly Reyes Mims as the Orediggers found themselves in danger of getting run-ruled, being held to just two hits against Lacey Peskey in the first four innings.
 
Allison Westbrook (2-4) took over in relief in the home fourth and went worked a 1-2-3 inning before the offense finally broke through in the fifth. Lauren Romero opened with a double to left center before advancing to third on a sac bunt. After nearly being doubled off on a liner to third, Romero scored on an RBI double against the shift up the right field line by Emiaj Self. Self then scored on an opposite field double to left by Kendall Aragon before Cassidy Chvatal made it a 7-3 game with an RBI single up the middle.
 
Westbrook went 1-2-3 again in the home fifth before Mines battled back to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth. Hannah Roberts opened with a five-pitch walk before being run for at first by Sam Whisenand. After a sacrifice bunt, Whisenand scored on a triple to right field by Romero, who scored moments later on a single from Mia Lopez to cut the deficit to two. Kellan Ton singled to keep the line moving and after a groundout to the circle put Lopez and Ton in scoring position, Aragon delivered another run-scoring double to equalize the game.
 
Unfortunately, BHSU responded the next half inning as Hernandez hit a one-out solo home run just to the right of the scoreboard in right center field to retake the lead before Peskey struck out the side in the seventh to end the game with an 8-7 win for Black Hills State.
 
Looking to lock up the win in the finale, Mines went on the attack early against Paige Goodell as Emiaj Self singled through the left side of the infield with one out before scoring on a two-out double off the wall in left by Cassidy Chvatal. Pitching with a lead Kat Miller (5-10) left a trio of runners on base in the first two innings before being tagged in the third for a solo home run by Reyes Mims that tied the game at 1-1.
 
The Orediggers responded in their half of the fourth as Aragon led off with a hard single back to the circle off Goodell before moving into scoring position with two outs thanks to a steal of second. That set up Emily Rogers who laced a single to center to plate what ended up being the go-ahead run to make it 2-1. Miller came back and left a runner in the bottom of the frame thanks to a 6-4-3 double play before working around a pair of one-out singles in the fifth to maintain the one-run lead.
 
Insurance came in the form of a four-spot in the sixth as Rogers again found herself at the center of the action. Self led things off with a single to left center and after a sac bunt, a walk to Aragon and a single by Lexie Semeyn loaded the bases for the sophomore infielder. Rogers wasted no time, taking the first pitch the other way to right against the shift and ended up clearing the bases as the trail runner Semeyn got a great read at first and never lifted as she raced around the bases as the score moved to 5-1. That forced a pitching change as Malaya Coleman took over and was greeted by Kailey Morales who singled through the left side to score Rogers and make it a five-run lead.
 
BHSU looked like they might have something cooking in the bottom of the inning as Peskey and Carli Mayley both singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. That situation changed rather quickly as a medium-deep fly ball drifting toward the right field line was hauled in by Lopez who unleashed a laser of throw to Semeyn at the plate to cut down Peskey by plenty for a 9-2 double play before a groundout to shortstop ended the inning.
 
Mines tacked on a final run in the seventh as with two outs Chvatal worked a five-pitch walk before scoring on a triple to straightaway center by Semeyn to make it a 7-1 game. In need of a rally, the Yellow Jackets managed a run in the bottom of the inning as Lily Simmons walked and came around to score on a single by Reyes Mims before Taylor Wayne took over in the circle. Inheriting a 2-0 count to Hernandez, Wayne got a groundout to shortstop and after walking the bases loaded, a force out at third ended the action with a final score of 7-2 to win the series.
 
NOTABLES
-Miller closed her outstanding month of March by working 6.1 strong innings in the finale, scattering 11 hits and allowing just two runs; for the month she went 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA over 56.2 innings with 24 strikeouts against 18 walks in 12 appearances with eight starts
-Rogers had a career performance in the finale, going 2-3 with a stolen base, a run scored and four RBI including a three-run single in the sixth
-Aragon posted a five-hit day punctuated with a 4-4 performance in game one that included two doubles, a run and three RBI as she now leads the conference with 13 two-baggers
-Romero went 2-3 in the opener with two extra-base hits including her first career triple along with two runs scored and an RBI
-Self turned in a three-out afternoon bolstered by a 2-4 performance in game two with two runs while posting a double in game one and now sports a four-game hitting streak
-Semeyn finished the series strong, going 2-4 with a triple, RBI and a run scored in the finale
-Chvatal hit safely in both games to extend her hitting streak to six games and drove in a run in each while scoring twice in game two; she now has an RMAC-leading 44 RBI
-Westbrook was saddled with the loss in the opener but was strong in relief to cap a great weekend in the circle, spinning three innings and allowing just one run on one hit and facing one over the minimum
 
UP NEXT
Mines is back in action at home as the home team for their next two weekends, starting when Chadron State treks to Golden April 5-6.
 
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.