GAME 1 - MINES 3, CSU-PUEBLO 0
Sydney Marchando's shutout powered Colorado School of Mines to a 3-0 win in their series opener against CSU-Pueblo on Friday.
Marchando (14-4) struck out five and scattered five hits to pick up her third cleansheet of the season as RBI from
Megan Dickson and
Boston Ludlow did the work on the offensive end.
Mines wasted no time in getting on the board as they quickly loaded the bases and scored twice in the first. Dickson provided a two-out single to score
Kendall Murphy, and a mishandle by the leftfielder allowed
Katie Leiker to come home on the play for a 2-0 lead. A two-on, two-out situation in the fourth produced another run as Ludlow brought in Murphy with a single to center.
The Orediggers chased CSUP starter Taylor Strupp (7-14) in the third after she allowed two runs and struck out two; Hannah Anderson allowed another run in 3.2 innings of relief. Mines generated eight hits, but also had two walks and three hit-by-pitch passes from Strupp.
GAME 2 - CSU-PUEBLO 4, MINES 3 (9 inn.)
A last-gasp comeback by CSU-Pueblo tied the game in the seventh before the Thunderwolves got the go-ahead run in the ninth to win Friday's second game 4-3.
The Thunderwolves rode a tough complete-game effort by Samantha Riesen (4-8), who threw 133 pitches and did not allow a run after the fourth to let her team come back.
Claire Stringfellow took a no-hitter into the fifth before CSUP solved her for three runs in the seventh as she took no decision.
Kara Jones had a 3-for-5 day at the plate and
Kendall Murphy,
Boston Ludlow, and
Loren Dempsey also had two-hit games as Murphy drove in two runs.
Mines went up 3-0 in the game as Ludlow's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first made it 1-0 and Murphy's two-run double - her 20th two-bagger of the season - scored
Dani Valerio and
Hana Mawlawi in the fourth.
The Orediggers took that 3-0 lead into the seventh, but the Thunderwolves would not go away as they put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs; Hailey Hicks' single cut the deficit to 3-2, and Morgan Hatfield's single later in the inning tied it up.
Kylie Redding entered the game and got the final out to preserve the tie.
Mines couldn't convert Dempsey's walk into a run in the seventh or Murphy's single in the eighth, and CSU-Pueblo's Gabby Moreno came up with a two-out single in the top of the ninth to score Alyssa McWilliams and take a 4-3 lead. The Orediggers then left the winning run on 2nd after Jones and Ludlow singled in their final at-bat.
Murphy became just the third Oredigger in program history to reach 20 doubles in a season, joining teammate
Clara Larson (21, 2018) and Sarah Van Lingen (23, 2009 and 20, 2008).
NEXT UP
Mines and CSU-Pueblo wrap up the regular season Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Mines will honor its six seniors between games.
