A lead-off home run by Janine Tyler and a grand slam by Kelly Purcell helped the Colorado State University-Pueblo ThunderWolves take the first game before a 7-run barrage in the fourth inning led the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers to a 10-6 second game victory as the teams split a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Sunday, the third and final day of the RMAC pod at Adams State College in Alamosa.
Tyler went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in Game 1 while Purcell’s grand slam, her first home run of the season, highlighted a 7-run fifth inning for the ThunderWolves, who won the game 9-3.
ThunderWolf pitcher Kelsey Swanberg picked up the win and improved to 10-8 after spreading nine hits, two walks and three runs over her complete game effort.
Katie Kocman, the winner of two games on Saturday against host Adams State, took the loss and fell to 10-6 after giving up eight hits, three walks and six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.
CSM shortstop Melissa Stratton went 3-for-3 to lead the Oredigger attack.
In Game 2, the ThunderWolves jumped out to a 5-0 lead in their effort to claim a sweep. However, the Orediggers banged out seven hits while scoring as many runs to take a 7-5 lead through 3 ½ innings.
Gina Ross then hit her third homer of the weekend an inning later to give the Orediggers some security. Kocman, who came on in relief of starter Liz Kramer, picked up her third win of the weekend as she allowed just two hits and a run in three innings while upping her season mark to 11-6.
Clinging to a 10-5 lead with the bases loaded, Taylor Cayou switched spots with Kocman and earned her first save of the year while retiring seven ThunderWolf hitters without allowing a hit.
Amber Higby fell to 6-6 as she took the loss after giving up 11 hits and seven runs in four innings before giving way to reliever Alyssa Hansen, who allowed three runs and three hits in as many innings.
Stratton again led the Oredigger offense as she went 3-for-5 with a run scored while Tyler, Bonita Nuanez and Joelle Rofrano each went 2-for-4 to guide the ThunderWolf attack.
The Orediggers are now 28-16 overall and lead the RMAC East Division with an 18-10 mark, just percentage points ahead of 19-11 Metro State.
The ThunderWolves are now 19-20 overall and 14-16 in RMAC play, good for the eighth place in the overall RMAC standings pending results from a Sunday doubleheader between Nebraska-Kearney and Western New Mexico in Las Vegas, N.M.
