GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines softball team got back to their winning ways Saturday afternoon at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field as they split doubleheader action with Regis. After the Rangers (7-21, 6-16) used a pair of big innings to post a run-rule 11-2 win in the opener, the Orediggers (12-20, 8-14) rallied from behind in game two before walking it off with one out in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 victory.
The Rangers took control of game one right away, scoring six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks as they chased
Taylor Wayne (5-6) from the circle after just 1/3 of an inning before
Madyson Ortiz came on in relief to get out of the inning before further damage was done.
Kellan Ton answered right back in the bottom of the first inning with an inside-the-park home run to right field after Angelina Romero-Barros misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed it roll all the way to the wall.
After a scoreless second inning, Regis plated four more runs in the third to lead 10-1, with three runs coming on a hard-hit Jane Quinn triple into the right field corner that deflected off the glove of a diving
Grace Weiler at first base.
Lauren Romero answered in the home half with an inside-the-park home run of her own, this one to left field as a sinking liner got under the glove of Jessica Isbell and rolled to the fence as Romero raced around to make it 10-2. RU added another run in the fifth to make it a nine-run game at 11-2 as Eliza Legge closed things out for the run-rule win in five innings.
Both sides stranded a pair of runners in the first inning of game two before Regis scored first on a one-out infield single off the glove of
Kylie Bickford at third base as Olivia Wick drove in Kristin Ingram. Ingram made it 3-0 Rangers in the third as a two-out two-run double down the left field line scored Isbell and Isabella Porter as the visitors seemed in control once again. Mines responded in the home half as a one-out triple to right center by
Kellan Ton was followed by a sacrifice fly by
Lauren Romero to make it a 3-1 game.
After allowing three runs the previous two innings,
Rylee Church (2-3) buckled down and stranded a pair of runners in the fourth before her offense rewarded her with another run as a two-out pinch-hit double to right center by
Grace Weiler scored
Kendall Aragon all the way from first to cut the deficit to 3-2. Church continued to hang zeros as the action grew late with help from her defense. In the fifth inning with
Sam Whisenand's diving catch on a sinking liner to right field resulted in an inning-ending 9-6 double play. Weiler, who stayed in the game at first base after the pinch-hit double, made an over-the-shoulder running catch heading toward the fence on a pop foul in the sixth as it remained a one-run game.
After getting the tying run in scoring position in each of the previous two innings, the Orediggers went to the seventh looking for a reversal of fortune.
Miquela Tammaro led off the rally with a five-pitch walk before being lifted for pinch runner
Sydney Pendowski. After a sac bunt by Whisenand moved Pendowski 60 feet and turned the lineup over,
Kellan Ton slapped a single up the middle to drive in a run and tie the game as she replaced Pendowski at second by advancing on the throw. A walk to
Lauren Romero kept the line moving as
Emiaj Self stepped in next. After falling behind in the count, Self golfed a 1-2 offering to right field that dropped in amidst three Regis defenders before being booted by the right fielder, allowing Ton to scoot home from third for the go-ahead run and the 4-3 win.
NOTABLES
-Ton and Romero each hit the first home runs of their careers in game one and became the second and third players this season to hit an inside-the-park homer, joining
Emily Rogers who did so against MSU Moorhead on February 1
-The pair are the first teammates to hit inside-the-park home runs in the same game in at least the last 20 years to accomplish the feat
-Romero went 2-4 with two RBI and a run on the afternoon with both her hits coming in game one
-Ton went 3-7 on the day with a home run and a triple while scoring three times and driving in a run in each game
-Self and Aragon each logged a pair of hits in game two, going 2-4 and 2-3 with a run and a double respectively
-Whisenand, making her first home appearance as a left-handed hitter, went 1-2 with a pair of stolen bases in game two
-Weiler recorded her third double of the season and fourth RBI with the pinch-hit knock in game two and also stole a base in game one
-Church, making her second career start in game two, battled to her second win of the season as she went the distance with three strikeouts and allowed three runs on seven hits
-Rogers went 1-2 and stole a base in game one to improve to 11-12 on the basepaths this season
ON DECK
The Orediggers and Rangers wrap up action with another doubleheader Sunday at 11 a.m.
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.
