PUEBLO, Colo. – Looking to continue their winning ways as well as their push for the postseason, the Colorado School of Mines softball team braved temperatures in the mid-30s and another blast of winter weather Friday at the Rawlings Sports Complex to begin their final road series of the season against CSU Pueblo. Though the Orediggers (18-30, 17-20) scored five runs in both contests, they experienced two different results as they claimed the opener 5-3 before the ThunderWolves (26-19, 25-13) used a big second inning in game two to split the doubleheader with a 9-5 result.
 
Game one started off the right way for Mines as they hung a crooked number on the board thanks to the first collegiate home run of Kendall Aragon's career. Kellan Ton led the game off with a walk before stealing second and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt by Emiaj Self to being Aragon to the dish. The Legacy High School product, already in the midst of a career-best season when it comes doubles, worked battled back to work a 2-2 count before driving a pitch the other way over the wall in left center to take the early lead. CSUP got one run back in their half when Delaney Barela walked and worked around the bases on an error and a wild pitch before scoring a Madleyn Huerta sacrifice fly to make it 2-1.
 
The Orediggers' offense continued to hum in the second inning as Lauren Romero led off with a double before coming around to score on a one-out single by Ton to extend the lead to 3-1. After a 1-2-3 inning by Kat Miller (8-11) in the home half, another run went on the board in the top of the third. Cassidy Chvatal led off with a liner to centerfield and was thrown out trying to stretch a double, but interference was called and the out was overturned to put a runner in scoring position for the heart of the order. After Chvatal advanced to third on an error, she scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Brooke Gonzales to make it a three-run game.
 
The Pack responded with a run on a pair of doubles by Juliannah Jimenez and Taylor Brower to make it 4-2 with one out in the inning, but Miller did a good job shutting things down with a flyout and a groundout to prevent any further runs. Mines got that run right back in the top of the fourth as a one-out double by Emiaj Self saw her score moments later on an E3 off the bat of Aragon to make it a 5-2 game.
 
After another 1-2-3 inning by Miller, CSU Pueblo scored their third run of the game in the fifth with a wild pitch on a two-out walk that scored Jimenez to make it 5-3. The ThunderWolves then had a chance to tie the game in the sixth as they got two runners on thanks to a pair of singles in the inning, but a force out at third ended the threat as the junior righty preserved the lead.
 
Miners went down in order in the seventh as CSUP looked to rally in their half of the frame. A one-out single by Taylor Brower looked to be potentially be a spark on a cold and overcast day, but Miller and defense had other ideas as the very next pitch to Barela was rolled over to Self for a game-ending 6-3 double play to take the series opener.
 
Game two started in a near-identical manner for the Orediggers as Kellan Ton led off with a single before stealing second. After a strikeout, Kendall Aragon stepped back into the box and after jumping ahead in the count 2-0, quickly made it a 2-0 game as she turned around the third pitch of the at bat sharply down the right field line for her second two-run home run of the afternoon.
 
Taylor Wayne (5-9) worked a scoreless first inning, but ran into trouble in the second as the first three batters reached on a double, error and a walk to load the bases. Another walk followed by a Tori Cordova single plated two runs to tie the game and force a pitching change. Allison Westbrook took over in relief looking to get out of the jam, but issued a walk to the first batter she faced to force home another run as the ThunderWolves took the lead. Following a strikeout, a wild pitch made it 4-2 before a fielder's choice and a steal-and-stop play resulted in two more runs to make it a four-run contest.
 
Ton and Aragon both singled in the third before being stranded as Westbrook did her best to keep Mines in the game, stranding a leadoff runner in the home half to keep the gap at four. Brooke Gonzales opened the fourth by reaching on an E6 and after a flyout to first, Kailey Morales stepped in and stepped out, hammering an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left to close back within a pair at 6-4. After the lineup turned over with two outs, Ton kept the line moving with a single and steal of second before coming across to score on a ball up the middle by Emiaj Self to make it a one-run game.
 
After Westbrook stranded another runner in the home fourth, the Orediggers had a chance to tie the game or even take the lead in the fifth as Gonzales and Romero both reached with one out, but a pair of strikeouts by Mia Sanchez ended the frame. Three pitches into the home half of the inning, Emma Case went deep to right center to make it a 7-5 game. Following a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, CSUP added a pair of two-out runs in the sixth as again Case came through with a double to right center that made it a 9-5 game.
 
With snow falling in the seventh, Mines looked to rally with the heart of the order due up in the inning, but it wasn't to be as a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to left wrapped up game two as the teams split Friday's doubleheader.
 
NOTABLES
-Aragon hit the first two home runs of her Mines career Friday as part of a 3-7 afternoon and now has 21 extra-base hits and 28 RBI on the season
-Miller continued her breakout season with another gem in the circle, going the distance and striking out five and allowing just three runs (two earned) on six hits while facing just eight over the minimum and needing just 93 pitches to post her eighth win of the season
-Morales and the softball gods are now even for the season as the senior hit her first official home run of the season in game two (she left the yard back on February 2 against Texas Woman's, but the game ultimately didn't count because the game ended before it was official due to a travel curfew for Mines)
-Ton went 4-8 with an RBI and three runs on the day including a 3-4 with two runs in game two while combining to steal three bases as she now stands at 22 on the season
-Self hit safely in each game, scoring in game one and driving in a run in game two as she extended her hitting streak to a season-best eight games
-Chvatal posted her seventh double of the season in the opener as part of a 2-3 game with a run scored
-Romero registered her second straight three-hit game in the opener, registering a double and scoring a run
-Gonzales had another productive day, driving in a run in game one and scoring a run as part of a 1-3 performance in game two
 
UP NEXT
Mines and CSU Pueblo are scheduled to wrap up the weekend Saturday with another doubleheader. Originally scheduled for an 11 p.m. start, action will now get underway at 1 p.m. due to the blast of winter weather impacting much of the Centennial State today.
 
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.