DENVER – In a game of missed offensive opportunities for both teams, the Montana State University Billings softball team fell 4-3 to Colorado School of Mines in eight innings Saturday morning at Regency Athletic Complex in game one of a scheduled doubleheader. Megan Dickson hit a sacrifice fly with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth inning to win it for the Orediggers.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-7) took the first lead but Colorado School of Mines put three across the plate in the fifth on a bases clearing double by Kendall Murphy which tied the game 3-3. Freshman Cailee Morgan went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double to lead the Yellowjackets. Georgiabelle Benning also had a pair of hits and one run scored for MSUB.

"Overall it was good to see us bounce back the way we did," said head coach Jessica Rayman. "Maddy threw a good game and we made the plays and got the outs when we needed it. We had some opportunities with runners in scoring position and I would have liked to see us step up in those situations. It was a well fought game but we needed a few more things to fall our way."

Sydney Marchando (1-3) pitched 5.0 innings of relief and allowed two earned runs on three hits to get the win for Colorado School of Mines. Marchando walked four and struck out two after facing 24 batters. Maddy Lincoln (3-4) took the loss for MSUB, despite a good performance in 7.2 innings of work for MSUB. Lincoln allowed four runs (zero earned) on eight hits, walked five and struck out five.
 
Brittanee Fisher drove a double to left-center in the top of the first inning to score Rylan Austin and give MSUB a 1-0 advantage. Mines loaded the bases in their half of the third inning but Lincoln got Sam Wade to ground out back to the rubber for a 1-3 putout to end the threat. Soon after, MSUB loaded the bases in the fourth but failed to convert a run with two outs.
 
Colorado Mines filled the bases again in the fourth with one out. Clara Larson struck out looking and Megan Dickson lined out to Payton Reynolds at third base to strand all three runners.
 
Morgan Quimby hit a sacrifice fly to right field in the fifth inning and Fisher easily tagged and scored on the play to give the 'Jackets a 2-0 lead. The Orediggers responded in their half of the fifth. Trouble for MSUB began brewing after a fielding error charged to Reynolds at third base allowed Mines a base runner with one out.
 
Wade was then hit by a pitch and Kara Jones reached on a dropped fly ball at first base. Kelsey Buechler singled and Kendall Murphy hit a double down the right field line to clear the bases and give Colorado School of Mines its first lead of the game 3-2.
 
Cailee Morgan helped tie the game in the sixth for MSUB after hitting a single back up the middle to score Benning. After a scoreless seventh, Rylan Austin bunted to move the eighth inning placed runner up to third base with one out. Sydney Pollard popped out to second base and Fisher popped out to the pitcher, which stranded both runners.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Murphy was placed on second and Leiker walked for the Orediggers. After a sacrifice fly advanced both into scoring position, Dickson took a Lincoln pitch to left field and Murphy scored on the tag after a throw to home came in far too late.
 
Murphy finished 1-for-5 with three runs batted in after her double in the fifth. Leiker and Buechler had two hits apiece for Colorado School of Mines. MSU Billings ended with three runs on eight hits and left 14 runners on base while the Orediggers converted four runs on eight hits with 13 left on base. The Yellowjackets had four errors in the field while Mines made one.
 
GAME TWO CANCELLED: The second game of the doubleheader was cancelled after heavy snow began to fall just prior to the start of the game. It was determined the field was unplayable less than a half hour after the start of the delay. No make-up game is scheduled at this time.
 
THE BUZZ: Cailee Morgan was named St. Vincent Healthcare player of the game for MSU Billings. Morgan had two hits, one stolen base, one run batted in, and one double…The Yellowjackets moved to 2-1 all-time against Colorado School of Mines. The teams first played in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 
UP NEXT: MSU Billings has next week off after playing 13 games in the first half of February. MSUB will begin play in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with four games March 2-3 against Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. The Yellowjackets play at home for the first time on March 16 against Western Oregon University.