GOLDEN, Colo. – Under sunshine and clear skies Friday at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field, the Colorado School of Mines softball team split the first day of their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series against CSU Pueblo with a 3-1 victory in the opener before dropping the night cap 8-5. A vintage Taylor Wayne performance in the opener was backed offensively by Kendall Aragon as things started the right way for the Orediggers (24-24, 20-18) before the ThunderWolves (34-14, 30-8) used a series of multi-run innings to power back and split the afternoon.
 
Mines plated the opening run of the weekend in game one when a one-out single up the middle by Kendall Aragon scored Kellan Ton from third after she reached on an error to open the frame. Two more runs crossed in the home third for the Orediggers as their lead moved to 3-0. Ton again got things started with a one-out single through the left side and after stealing second, a two-out knock up the middle by Aragon once again doubled the lead. After taking second on the throw, an infield single by Katie Bauer put runners on the corners before duo perfectly executed a double steal of second and home as the return throw to the plate was too late to get Aragon and made it a three-run lead against 17-game winner McKenna James.
 
Taylor Wayne (8-7) turned in one of her best starts of the season to begin her final weekend playing in Golden. The fifth-year senior faced just two over the minimum over the first three innings and managed to pitch out of a minor jam in the fourth to strand a pair of ThunderWolves. After her second 1-2-3 inning of the day in the fifth, CSUP finally got to Wayne for a run in the sixth on a two-out RBI double by Cali Cole. In the seventh, CSU Pueblo looked to rally as they got the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate in Caitlyn Cole, but a rollover grounder to second concluded matters with a 3-1 Mines win to open the series.
 
The Orediggers jumped on the board first again in game two as Kendall Aragon recorded her seventh triple in the last five games to score Kellan Ton from second. CSU Pueblo answered back with a run in the second with a one-out single to left field by Emma Case to draw even before Mines retook the lead with a three-spot the next half inning. Starting pitcher Rylee Church helped her own cause with a leadoff home run to straightaway center. Emiaj Self followed with a single and after a sac bunt, a bizarre play saw the Orediggers retake the lead. A bloop the other way off the bat of Sam Whisenand landed directly on the third base line at the edge of the infield and immediately kicked hard into foul territory. While three CSUP defenders stood around the ball seemingly shocked the call of a fair ball, Self wheeled all the way around from second to make it 3-1. Whisenand scored two batters later when Lauren Romero punched a single the other way to right field to make it a four-run lead.
 
The ThunderWolves countered again in the third, scoring three times to again tie things at 4-4. Caitlyn Cole's triple to left field scored Darleen Falcon before she scored along with James as part of a two-run double by Madelyn Huerta. A two-out RBI double by Self in the home half scored Grace Weiler as Mines retook the lead 5-4 and chased starter Eva Miller-Sanchez. The Pack reclaimed the lead for good in the sixth, as a leadoff double by Gissel Morales-Cermeno spelled the end of the day for Church. Ellen Shull (3-3) took over in relief and was tagged for a pair of run-scoring singles in the inning, with the latter of the two coming from Reese Reimler to make it 6-5.
 
With the Mines offense having fallen silent after the first three frames, Shull battled to keep it a one-run game as the action progressed with scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth. Unfortunately CSUP managed to extend their lead with an RBI triple and a safety squeeze in the seventh to make it 8-5. After Madyson Ortiz limited the damage, Mines looked to rally against reliever Jaylah Rivera as a triple to right field by Romero provided a spark, but a comeback was not to be as the ThunderWolves forced a draw on the day.
 
NOTABLES
-Wayne struck out a pair and allowed just one run on six hits while facing eight over the minimum and needing just 97 pitches for the complete-game win
-Aragon went 3-7 with three RBI, a triple and a run scored Friday and ran her hitting streak to nine games
-Ortiz went 2-3 as the designated player in the opener
-Ton also went 3-7 on the day with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases
-Church's homer was her second of the season and second in the last four games
-Bauer hit safely in each game to run her hitting streak to eight games
 
ON DECK
Mines closes out regular season home action against the ThunderWolves starting Saturday at 11 a.m. Senior Day festivities are set to be held following the conclusion of the series finale.
 
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.