Game 1 - Colorado Mines 4 #10 Wayne State 2
Game 2 - Colorado Mines 2 #10 Wayne State 1
Colorado School of Mines scored four of its six runs with two outs and no runners on base to lift the Orediggers in a 4-2 and 2-1 non-conference college softball sweep over NCAA Division II 10th-ranked Wayne State College Saturday afternoon in Golden, Colorado. Colorado School of Mines is now 4-8 with the two wins while Wayne State drops to 1-3 on the season.
In the first game, the Orediggers outhit WSC 9-4 as Colorado School of Mines topped the Wildcats 4-2. Wayne State opened the scoring in the first inning as sophomore Kassie Nurton opened the game with a bunt single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Hannah Engelkamp and then scored on a throwing error by Colorado Mines second baseman Morgan Anderson to put the Wildcats up 1-0 early.
Colorado Mines tied the score in the second inning with one run and took the lead for good in the third by scoring with two outs and no runners on as Sarah Van Lingen doubled and scored on Sami Springer's RBI single to right field for a 2-1 Oredigger lead. CSM added two runs with a similar two out, no runners on rally, in the fourth inning as Allysia Cisneros double to left field and scored on a dropped fly ball by Wildcat shortstop Sarah Gottschalk followed by a Morgan Anderson double that scored Brinley Benson to make the score 4-1.
Wayne State came back with a two out rally in the fifth inning to score one run as Kassie Nurton singled down the left field, stole second base and scored on a pinch-hit double to left field by Rachel Dukich to cut the Oredigger lead to 4-2. But that's as close as WSC would get as the Wildcats fell 4-2.
Kassie Nurton was 3 for 3 at the plate to lead WSC, scoring both Wildcat runs with two stolen bases. Rachel Dukich had the only other hit for the Wildcats, a pinch-hit double in the fifth inning.
Freshman Natalie Hauschild (1-1) suffered the pitching loss for the Wildcats, allowing four runs (two earned) on nine hits over four innings with two strikeouts and one walk. Reliever Natalie Ruechel was impressive in relief, working two innings without allowing a hit with one strikeout. Colorado Mines pitcher Libby Balogh pitched a complete game for the Orediggers and struck out 11 Wildcat batters in the contest.
The second game saw Colorado Mines hold off a seventh inning rally by Wayne State to edge the Wildcats 2-1. Both teams had six hits in the game, which was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning. The Orediggers opened the scoring with another two out, no runners on rally as Morgan Anderson walked and came around to score on a Sarah Van Lingen double to put Colorado Mines in front 1-0. CSM took a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning as Sarah Lustgraaf belted a one-out solo homer to left-center field.
Wayne State mounted a rally in the seventh inning as Rachel Dukich led off the inning with a single. Later in the inning with two outs, pinch hitter Vicki Nielsen laced a double to right-center field scoring Dukich to make the score 2-1. The next batter, senior Blaire Kuhl, then popped up to the pitcher to end the game as the Orediggers won 2-1.
The Wildcats had six hits in the game as Sam Earleywine was 2 for 2 with a pair of singles while Rachel Dukich was 2 for 3 with one run scored. Vicki Nielsen had a pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh and Brittany Greenwood singled to round out Wayne State's six hits in the game.
Freshman pitcher Jordan Harris started the game for WSC and worked two-thirds of an inning, allowing one hit and two walks. Natalie Hauschild pitched the next five innings and gave up just five hits and two runs with two strikeouts but was dealt the loss, now 1-2 on the season. Natalie Ruechel recorded the final out for WSC.
Wayne State played the doubleheader without the services of senior All-American pitcher Katie Goetzinger, who is missing Friday and Saturday games in Denver due to a family funeral.
Wayne State will conclude their weekend trip to Colorado with a 12:00 p.m. doubleheader at Metro State Sunday afternoon in a rematch of last year's NCAA Super Regional final.
