CLAREMORE, Okla. - Tenth ranked Rogers State picked up a historic victory by knocking off No. 1 Lubbock Christian in the first game of a doubleheader Friday at the Hillcat Complex.
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The Hillcats squeezed home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 win. Kelli Dunagan was a one woman wrecking crew in the series opener. She belted two home runs and scored all four Hillcat runs while pitching a complete game. Dunagan tossed six scoreless innings in the nightcap before running out of gas. She surrendered five runs on five hits in the top of seventh as the Lady Chaps salvaged a series split with a 5-0 decision.
GAME ONE
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Dunagan put RSU on the scoreboard with a homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning. She singled to start the fourth and scored the second run of the day on a sacrifice fly by Katie Bointy. LCU answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to knot the game, 2-2. Raquel Hawkins and Ginalee Davis opened the frame with back-to-back singles and both scored on a two out single by Kelly Griego.
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Dunagan responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. The sophomore ripped a shot into the teeth of a strong wind that sailed just over the center field wall to put the Cats back in front, 3-2. However, with two outs in the seventh the Lady Chaps retied the game when Sabrina Hernandez scored on a misplayed grounder by Randi Tyler.
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The teams battled through a scoreless eighth inning before the Hillcats broke through for the game winner in the ninth. Dunagan started the inning at second base, via the international tie breaker rule. She advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bointy and scored the winning run on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Sara Walkup.
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Dunagan finished 3-for-4 with two RBI and four runs scored. The Collinsville High School product tossed nine innings and allowed three runs, two earned, while striking out eight. Marissa Gonzalez, the four time Sooner Athletic Conference pitcher of the week, was charged with the loss. Gonzalez worked 8.2 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with 10 strikeouts.
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It was the first win in school history for RSU over a No. 1 ranked opponent.
GAME TWO
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Dunagan was nearly unhittable through the first six innings before running out of gas in Game 2. She gave up only one hit and had faced one batter over the minimum entering the seventh frame. In the seventh the LCU lineup sprung to life and scored five times en route to a 5-0 win.
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Honda Rodriguez drew a walk to start the seventh and Hawkins followed by reaching on a fielder's choice. A single and a sacrifice fly scored the first run of the game and put the Chaps in front, 1-0. But LCU was far from finished. The Chaparrals rallied with four more hits and sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
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The Hillcats were unable to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh and managed just three hits in the nightcap. LCU starter Kelly Griego held RSU to just two hits over the first 4.1 innings before giving way to Gonzalez. Gonzalez worked the final 2.2 innings to pick up the win. She improved to 18-3 on the season while Dunagan fell to 15-4.
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Rogers State (22-4, 7-1) notched its first win over a Top 10 team by taking one of two games from the top-ranked Chaps. The Hillcats will travel to Blue Springs, Mo., for a tournament at Avila University Saturday and Sunday.