GOLDEN, Colo. – Chadron State softball fell victim to the big inning over the first two games of a four-game series, falling 9-5 and 7-5 to Colorado School of Mines on Sunday in Golden. 

The Orediggers scored their 18 runs across just three total innings during Sunday's contests, putting up crooked numbers of four runs in the third and five in the fourth inning of game one before erupting for a nine-run fourth inning in game two. 

The big innings by Mines in the middle innings erased good starts by the Eagles offense, as Chadron State led 3-0 in game one and 7-0 in game two prior to the home team's breakouts. 

With the two losses, Chadron State is now 12-24 overall with an 8-22 record in RMAC play. Mines improves to 13-27 overall with a 12-17 mark in RMAC games. 
Belle Akins threw the lion's share of innings in the circle, pitching three innings of relief in each game. Akins held the Orediggers to two runs on four hits with four strikeouts in game one, then took the loss in game two as she conceded five runs on six hits with another four strikeouts in the nightcap. 

Tori Haug, CSC's game one starter, allowed seven runs (six earned) before being lifted with nobody out in the fourth inning. Kenzi Garner started game two for the Eagles and allowed four runs on four hits in three-plus innings, but exited after giving up home runs to two of the first four batters in the fourth and departed with a 7-4 lead. 

Offensively, Aliyah Rothstein and Sophia Brennan both had three-hit games in the opener while Lauren Zimmerman had three hits in the second game. Brennan (game one), Zimmerman (game two) and J'lyssa Martinez (game two) all had three-RBI games on the day, with Martinez leaving the yard for her second home run of the season. 

CSC got off to a great start offensively. Rothstein led off game one with a bunt single and a stolen base, then advanced to third on a passed ball as Jazlyn Arvizo drew a walk. Zimmerman drove home the game's first run on a sacrifice fly before Sophia Brennan followed shortly after with a two-out, two-run double to score Arvizo and J'lyssa Martinez. 

After Mines roared back with nine runs to take the lead, Chadron State tried to trim the deficit in the seventh and final inning. Pinch-hitters Kendall Petty, Elizabeth Thorngren and Destrie Greiman went walk, single, walk to load the bases with nobody out. Ashland Baca drove home a run with a fielder's choice and Brennan singled to the opposite field to drive home her fourth run of the day, but Mines recovered to get the final two outs and win 9-5. 

The two-run seventh provided momentum for CSC heading into the second game. The Eagles scored three runs in the first inning for the second game in a row, with Zimmerman smoking a two-run double into the right-center gap and Brogan Allen following with a sacrifice fly. 

In the third, Arvizo and Zimmerman led off with back-to-back singles before Martinez pulled a three-run home run to right to double CSC's lead at 6-0. Zimmerman added another RBI single in the fourth to make it 7-0 before everything unraveled for the Eagles in the bottom of the fourth. 

Garner allowed four runs on three hits and a walk, including two homers, and a pitching change to Akins with nobody out didn't slow down the Orediggers. The first four batters collected hits off the CSC freshman, with a Kendall Aragon two-run single giving CSM the lead 8-7. 

The two teams will continue their series on Monday morning, with game one set to begin at 11 a.m.