GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines softball team closed out their series with MSU Denver Saturday at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field and came out on the short of a pair of tightly-contested decisions by scores of 3-1 and 9-6 in 10 innings. After their offense was largely held in check in a game one pitcher's duel, the Orediggers (11-15, 7-9) fought tooth-and-nail in the series finale to avoid the sweep, but the Roadrunners (18-6, 13-3) outlasted them in extra innings to close the four-game set.
 
Game one opened ominously for Mines as Kat Miller walked the first two batters of the game on a windy morning on eight pitches before a quick pitching change saw Rylee Church (1-2) take over in the circle. After allowing a single to Cheyenne Prieto, the freshman retired the next three Roadrunners including two strikeouts to escape the bases-loaded jam in the top of the first. After Church and Natalie Romero exchanged scoreless second innings, MSUD netted a run in the third inning on an error off the bat of Prieto that scored Victoria Pearson first the opening run of the day. The Orediggers came back in the fourth inning to tie things at 1-1 on a Roadrunner error on a line drive to second by Emiaj Self that allowed Samantha Whisenand to score.
 
MSU Denver came back in the fifth, taking advantage of more defensive miscues as Prieto lined a two-run single through the right side to retake the lead 3-1. Church continued to battle in the circle as she waited for her offense to break through, but Mines found it tough sledding against Romero who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Katie Bauer's two-out infield single to third base broke things up, but failed to result in a run. After a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, Miquela Tammaro delivered a two-out pinch hit single back up the middle to bring the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the ballgame as the Roadrunners claimed the series with the 3-1 result.
 
Looking to avert the sweep in the finale, Taylor Wayne went 1-2-3 to start the action and was immediately rewarded with a lead as Katie Bauer banged a two-out double off the wall in left center that scored Lauren Romero all the way from first. After a 1-2-3 second, Wayne ran into trouble in the third as the opportunistic Roadrunners scored three to go ahead. After a single, error and fielder's choice loaded the bases with one out, Mackenzie Pearson's RBI groundout to second tied things before Prieto delivered another two-run single up the middle for the lead. Undeterred, Wayne and the Orediggers kept grinding against Kianna Butler, getting a run back in the home third on a Lindy French sacrifice fly that score Emily Rogers before tying things in the fifth on an opposite field single by Emiaj Self that plated Sidney Pendowski to draw even at 3-3.
 
Wayne continued to deal in the circle as the action remained tied, posting scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh innings as she was matched by Roadrunner reliever Sam Mader. After neither side managed to push across the go-ahead run in seven innings, the game headed to extras. Zeros in the eighth opened the extra frames before each side scored twice in the ninth. MSUD retook the lead on a bases-loaded single by Brooklyn Enny that made it 5-3 before an error by Wayne in the circle on a comebacker reloaded the bases with still no outs in the inning. Madyson Ortiz (2-4) entered in relief and induced a grounder back to the circle which she relayed home for the force out before a lineout 6-5 double play allowed Mines to escape danger trailing by two. Kylie Bickford led off the home ninth with a walk and after Sam Whisenand came on to pinch run, Kellan Ton laced a long triple just over the left fielder to make it 5-4. Ton scored four pitched later on an RBI single by Lauren Romero, who was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double after a bobble on the play by the left fielder. Brooklyn Levin entered next in relief for MSUD and was greeted by a Kendall Aragon single as Mines looked to walk it off. After a fielder's choice force at second and a Rogers single, the Orediggers had the go-ahead run at second but a liner back to the circle ended the inning.
 
MSU Denver took the lead back for good in the 10th, scoring four times to make it 9-5. After a flyout to left, a single, double, suicide squeeze and wild pitch resulted in two runs to make it 7-5. After a Prieto walk, Enny doubled home a pair to left center before being thrown out at third on the relay. A groundout ended the inning but not before the deficit stood at four heading to the bottom of the frame. Looking to rally again, Lindy French led off with a walk before Ortiz flexed into the eighth spot in the lineup and delivered a crisp single the other way to left field. After a strikeout and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two outs, Romero singled to left to score French and make it 9-6, but that was all Mines managed as Natalie Romero induced a groundout to third to close the series out.
 
NOTABLES
-Church went the distance in relief, working a season-high seven innings and also setting a new season-high with six strikeouts while walking four and allowing three unearned runs on five hits; over her last five outings, the freshman has allowed just four earned runs in 21.2 innings of work while striking out 18 and issuing 12 walks
-Wayne took a tough-luck no decision, working a season-high eight innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits
-Bauer capped off another solid weekend at the plate with a hit in each game, highlighted by the RBI double in game two while also leading to a run in the game as well and extended her hitting streak to five games
-Romero had two hits and two RBI in the series finale
-Ton recorded her second triple of the season and stole a base in the finale
-Self and French each drove in a run in game two
-Ortiz recorded her first career hit in the 10th inning of game two
 
ON DECK
Mines will be back at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field next weekend March 21-22 in a series with #15 Colorado Christian. Due to a scheduling conflict at CCU's home venue, they will be the home team on the scoreboard next weekend after shifting the series to Golden.
 
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.