GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines softball team made their home 2026 debut Sunday at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field and started off action on their home field the right way with a pair of wins over MSU Billings by scores of 3-2 and 11-3 in six innings. It was a tale of two games for the Orediggers (4-3) as they scored three early runs and made them stick in the opener thanks to a strong outing by Taylor Wayne before needing to come from behind against the Yellowjackets (2-8) in game two and using a six-run sixth-inning to invoke the eight-run rule and end the action early.
 
MSU Billings had a prime chance to get on the board first in the opener with a pair of walks to open the action. Destiny Villas followed with a single up that middle that looked like it would score Marleigh Nieto, but a strong throw from center by Kendall Aragon to Katie Bauer cut down the run at the plate before a pair of groundouts ended the inning. Mines took that momentum and funneled it into three runs in the home half of the inning. Kellan Ton led off with a single and stole second before advancing to third on a flyout to deep center. Aragon followed with a single through the left side before scoring on a triple the other way to right field by Emily Rogers. Rogers then scored on a groundout to shortstop by Bauer as the Orediggers took a 3-0 lead.
 
As it turned out, those three runs ended up being all Taylor Wayne (2-1) needed to earn the win. After the rocky start in the first, the fifth-year senior worked a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the second and the fourth while allowing just two baserunners over the next four innings. MSUB did manage to break through in the sixth as a two-out triple by Grace Hood saw her score on a wild pitch to break up the shutout. The Yellowjackets had a chance to tie things in the seventh, as Delaney Vasquez came around to score on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2 after reaching base on a one-out hit by pitch. With the tying run in scoring position at second, Wayne induced a groundout to Emiaj Self at shortstop to close the book on a 3-2 win to open the afternoon.
 
Much like in game one, MSU Billings had a golden chance to get on the board first in the opening action of game two as they loaded the bases with one out against starter Kat Miller, but the junior dug deep and worked a popup and a groundout to shortstop to leave the bases loaded and escape danger. Unfortunately, Miller wasn't able to duck out of danger in the second as a two-out two-run double by Wynter Hurst put the Yellowjackets on the board first. Mines bounced right back in the home second as Emily Rogers led off with a walk before stealing second and scoring a single to right by Lauren Romero. Romero, who advanced to second on an error, moved up 60 feet on a single by Miquela Tammaro before scoring on a Lindy French single the other way to tie things up at 2-2. After Ryen Herman sacrificed Tammaro and French into scoring position, Kylie Bickford drove in Tammaro with an RBI groundout off the glove of the pitching Wasilewski to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Ellen Shull (1-1) came on in relief to start the third after working around a pair of walks to hang a zero on the board, was rewarded by her offense with two more runs to make it a three-run lead. Emiaj Self got things going with a ringing double to right center before advancing to third on a single through the left side by Rogers. After Rogers stole second to put two in scoring position, Lauren Romero lined a sac fly to center that moved both runners and led to Rogers scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 5-2 game.
 
MSUB got one back in the fourth as a one-out double by Nieto saw her come around and scored on a sacrifice fly to left to make it 5-3. Mines had a hard time solving reliever Danica Butler after she came on to get the last out in the third before spinning scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth. In the sixth the Orediggers broke through in a big way, scoring six runs to invoke the eight-run rule. After Shull stranded a pair in the top half of the frame, Ryen Herman led off with a full-count walk before being lifted for pinch runner Sidney Pendowski. Taylor Wayne, pinch hitting for Bickford, stepped in for her first plate appearance of the season and lined the first pitch back up the middle for a single. Kiyana Tsuei checked in to run as first as the lineup turned over to Kellan Ton, who reached with an infield single to shortstop to load the bases. That was enough to chase Butler as MSU Billings brought in Elaina Troxell looking to limit the inning. With still no outs on the board, Self dug in next and promptly cleared the bases with a three-run triple to deep right center before scoring moments later on a single by Kendall Aragon as the lead moved to 9-3 in a matter of moments. The pinch hit parade continued as Kate Whipple checked in for Rogers and worked a walk before Grace Weiler hit for Romero and delivered an RBI single through the left side to make it 10-3. With Whipple standing on third, Madyson Ortiz was next in line off the bench as she went to the plate, but never got to take the bat off her shoulder and a wild pitch allowed another run to score as the Orediggers ended things early and capped off the day with an 11-3 win.
 
NOTABLES
-Wayne went the distance in her home debut in game one, picking up her second win of the season and striking out a pair while scattering five hits and two runs over seven innings of work before delivering a pinch hit single in game two
-Shull turned in her best work of the season in relief in game two, working four innings to earn her first win of the season and allowing just one run on three hits
-Aragon led the way in the opener, going 3-3 with a double, RBI and a run before adding another hit, RBI and run in game two
-Ton went 4-7 on the day with two hits, a run and a stolen base in each game
-Rogers had an RBI triple and scored in game one before going 1-2 with a pair of runs scored and two stolen bases in game two
-Romero carded three hits on the day including a 2-2 performance with two RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in game two
-Self recorded two extra-base hits, drove in three and scored twice in game two
-Bickford recorded a hit in her first home game before driving in a run in game two
-Weiler, Wayne and Sam Whisenand all delivered pinch hit singles in game two
-Since the start of the 2024 season, Mines is now 32-10 when playing at home
 
 
ON DECK
Non-conference play wraps up with three games next weekend for the Orediggers with a doubleheader at MSU Denver on February 14 before returning to Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field for a single game against Regis on February 15.
 
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.