Softball Sweeps Home Opening Series, Opens Conference Play in Sterling

The Lady Orediggers continued their February by winning all four games versus Southwest Minnesota at home and traveling to Sterling to engage in the first conference games of the season against Chadron State and UCCS. Mines won the SMSU games 8-6, 14-5, 9-5, and 12-7, and kicked off last weekend by beating Chadron 11-3 in six innings but losing to UCCS 6-5.

Sophomore Kristen Prudhomme was the starting pitcher for the majority of the SMSU games, and picked up all four of the wins, her collegiate first, in the best weekend of her career thus far at Mines. Senior Jessica Lewis also started a game, and freshman Angela Eickelman also pitched in relief.

The offense in Game 1 was led by Sami Springer, Cassie Ford, and Melissa Marshall, all who collected two hits. Ford and Marshall’s doubles scored two apiece in the third inning. Despite an attempt at a rally from SMSU, Mines hung on for the 8-6 win. Game 2 was a five inning affair, and the Orediggers dominated offensively all game, aided by a 9-run first inning. Freshman Paige Noehring, Springer, Marshall, and Courtney Derus each contributed with two hits each. Derus also led the offense in Game 3 with a double and home run in the 9-5 win, but nearly every CSM hitter got on base in that game, as Mines strung together 5 runs in the sixth inning. The Orediggers bats stayed hot for Game 4, as nearly every starter posted a multi-hit game as they swept SMSU.

The softball team then traveled to Sterling, Colorado last week to open up conference play for the season. Mines put their winning streak to five games with the win against Chadron State. Prudhomme pitched another great performance as she threw six innings of solid softball, giving up five hits and two earned runs while fanning five. Mines scored two in the third inning, two in the fifth, and seven in the sixth inning to make the final score 11-3. RMAC Player of the Week Derus homered, and Marshall doubled in the game, with the lineup getting solid hits all throughout the game.

Derus extended her hitting streak to thirteen games against UCCS in Game 2 of the weekend, belting her fourth homer of the season. Noehring also homered and Marshall added a double in Mines’ five-run fifth inning. However, UCCS was able to rally and beat Mines 6-5.

The Lady Orediggers take on Black Hills State next at home this weekend to start off March.