GOLDEN, Colo. (March 24, 2023) – The Colorado State University Pueblo softball team dropped a pair of one-run Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games here Friday afternoon to the Colorado School of Mines at Joe Coors, Jr. Field.

The ThunderWolves opened Friday's doubleheader with a 5-4 setback and then fell 7-6 in the nightcap to the Orediggers.

With the two setbacks, the Pack fall to 10-21 overall and 5-17 in the RMAC, while Mines improved to 13-18 overall and 12-10 in the RMAC.

The two teams will conclude the four-game series with another doubleheader on Saturday, March 25 beginning at 12 p.m.

GAME 1 | Mines 5, CSU Pueblo 4
In the opener, the Pack outhit Mines, 7-6 and led 4-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning when Mines used a 2-run double off the bat of Aubree Karraker to take a 5-4 lead and then Sadriena Rodriguez would retire the Pack in order in the top of the seventh to seal its win.

Freshman designated player Marissa Robertson paced the Pack offense as she was 3-for-3 at the plate, while junior second baseman Delaney Barela (Pueblo, Colo./East) added two hits. The final four hitters (6-9) in the Pack went a combined 6-for-10 at the plate in the loss.

Mines would take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on RBI single by Sidney Wilson and a sacrifice fly from Sophie Furniss.

The Pack pulled with a run at 2-1 in the top of the second thanks to Barela getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the inning, the Pack were hit by two pitches, had a single by Robertson and a walk issued to freshman shortstop Madelyn Huerta (Azusa, Calif./Bishop Amat).

CSU Pueblo would tie the game in the top of the fourth on an RBI triple by Barela, but Mines would retake the lead at 3-2 thanks to a sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Grace Gonzales in the bottom of the fourth.

The Pack scored an unearned run in the fifth on an error by Mines to tie the game at 3-all and then took the lead at 4-3 in the top of the sixth thanks to a bunt single by Barela and a sacrifice fly off the of sophomore third baseman Raelynn Roger (Surprise, Ariz./Willow Canyon).

Mines recorded six hits in the opener with Kendall Aragon collecting two of those six hits for the Orediggers.

The Orediggers would commit three errors in the game that led to two unearned runs for the Pack, while both teams left a combined 13 runners on base the Pack stranding seven and Mines leaving six.

Sophomore Lucy Carney (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) took the loss in the circle for the Pack as she tossed six innings and allowed six hits and five runs, while walking seven and striking out five to fall to 6-6 on the season.

Rodriguez (6-2) tossed all seven innings and allowed seven hits and four runs (two earned), while walking one and striking out four.

GAME 2 | Mines 7, CSU Pueblo 6
In the nightcap, the Pack would once again outhit the Orediggers, 10-9 and led 5-3 after three innings, before Mines rallied to score three runs in the fourth to retake the lead at 6-5 and then added an insurance run in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead.

Freshman leftfielder Caitlyn Cole (Merced, Calif./Stone Ridge Christian) paced the Pack offense with three hits in four at-bats, while Rogers added a 2-for-2 effort with two runs scored in the loss.

The Pack would jump in front 3-0 in the top of the first inning thanks to a throwing error by Mines catcher Kailey Morales and then a two-run homer off the bat of senior designated player Jill Bishop (Brighton, Colo./Brighton). Bishop's homer was her third of the season.

Mines, though, would score three runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 3, with two of those runs coming on a double by Kayleigh Krueger.

The Pack, though, would retake the lead at 4-3 in the top of the second on an RBI double by Cole and pushed its lead to 5-3 in the top of the third thanks to singles by Robertson and Barela.

Mines would retake the lead in the bottom of the fourth as they used three hits and scored three runs to take a 6-5 lead.

The Orediggers used a hit by pitch with the bases loaded to push its lead to 7-5 after five innings of play.

CSU Pueblo, though, would pull within a run in the top of the sixth thanks to a lead-off single by sophomore second baseman Tori Cordova (Pueblo West, Colo./Pueblo West) and an RBI double by senior centerfielder Seaerra Fuentes Arellano (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i/James Campbell) to complete the scoring.

Sara Larson led Mines with three hits, while Hannah Roberts and Aragon each had two hits in the nightcap.

Robertson (2-6) took the loss in the circle for the Pack as she tossed 3.1 innings and allowed eight hits and six runs, while walking three and striking out three. Junior Jacelynn Trujillo (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo County) pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed one hit and one run, while walking two and striking out three.

Allison Westbrook (2-1) won in relief for Mines as she pitched 2.2 innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking one and striking out one. Lauren Decker picked up her second save as she pitched two perfect innings for the Orediggers.

Mines left nine runners on base in the nightcap, while the Pack stranded four runners on base.

The Pack had two errors, while Mines committed one error.