CLAREMORE, Okla. - Southern Nazarene used a five-run seventh inning and a complete game pitching gem from Chris Hardin to take the final game of the series from Rogers State at the Hillcat Complex Thursday.
Hardin (2-0) threw 149 pitches and racked up 11 strikeouts in just his second outing of the season as the Crimson Storm won, 8-2. The Hillcats swept SNU in a doubleheader Tuesday to take two of three games and claim the conference series win.
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RSU took an early 2-0 lead with a run in each of the first two innings. Ryan Littlejohn reached on an error in the first and scored on an error by Hardin. Travis Harold belted his first homer of the season with a bomb over the left field wall in the second. Starting pitcher Josh Walker gave the Hillcats six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. RSU held a 2-1 lead when he gave way to the bullpen to start the seventh.
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However, the Crimson Storm batted around in the seventh and plated five runs off of RSU freshman Matt Brimer. Brimer yielded three hits and three walks in the inning. Stevie Thompson delivered the big blow with a three-run double to left. Samuel Mercado tacked on a homer in the eighth to push the lead to six runs.
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Harold had two of the Hillcats five hits. Brimer (0-1) suffered his first loss for RSU.
Rogers State (5-2, 2-1) will host Brescia University (Owesnboro, KY) in a doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Hillcat Complex. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
