CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State used strong pitching and solid defense to edge St. Gregory's in both games of a doubleheader Saturday at the Hillcat Complex.
 

The Hillcats played flawless defense for 14 innings and received quality pitching from four hurlers to earn 5-1 and 5-4 wins over the Cavaliers. Chris Graves tossed a complete game and allowed just one run in the opener. Freshman Hank Gray delivered the game winning hit in the nightcap.

GAME ONE
 

RSU scored twice in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to a 5-1 win behind the arm of Graves.
 

Greg Speed singled to start the first inning and went to second on a walk by Ryan Littlejohn. Speed scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout by Coby Wright and Littlejohn made it 2-0 when he took home on the back end of a double steal.
 

Littlejohn opened the fifth inning with a double and Blake Kelley and Wright followed with singles. Joe Faircloth roped a two-out, two-run double to center field to push the Cats out to a 5-0 advantage.
 

Graves (3-2) worked six scoreless innings before surrendering a run in the seventh. Brady Thorpe singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch to reach the final margin, 5-1. Graves allowed four hits and issued three walks while striking out three. SGU starter Nick Jones (6-5) pitched six innings and gave up five runs on six hits with eight strikeouts. Faircloth and Wright tallied two RBI apiece for the Hillcats.

GAME TWO
 

Gray picked up his first collegiate hit in dramatic fashion to push the Hillcats over the top in the nightcap.
 

The freshman ripped a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth inning to score Travis Harold and give RSU a 5-4 lead. It proved to be the game winner as Ryan White nailed down the save for the Cats in the top of the seventh.
 

The Cavaliers scored their first run of the afternoon on an RBI triple by Larry Gowder in the top of the first inning. RSU answered with two runs on two hits in the third and two runs on three hits in the fourth. Two throwing errors by the Cavs helped the Hillcats' cause as RSU grabbed a 4-1 lead after four innings.
 

Hillcat starter Josh Walker issued a leadoff walk to Chris Cochran in the top of the fifth and ran into some trouble. Cory Underhill, Brady Thorpe and Caleb Phillips each followed with singles to tie the game, 4-4. Walker got Jeremy Springer to ground into a double play to end the inning and keep the Cavs from regaining the lead.
 

Harold reached on an error to start the RSU sixth and stood at third base with two outs when Gray took the bat. Gray was making his first start of the season as the designated hitter and had just three at-bats on the year entering the game. The Pottsboro, Texas native's first career hit will be one he will never forget as his clutch single led to a Hillcat victory.
 

White escaped a first-and-third jam in the top of the seventh to earn his fourth save of the season. Freshman Matt Brimer recorded the first two outs of the seventh before giving away to White. Walker (3-2) picked up the win with six innings of work. He allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out two.
 

The Hillcats were out-hit 11-to-6 in the nightcap. Thorpe led the Cavaliers by going 4-for-4 with two RBI in the losing cause. Chris King (3-6) took the loss in Game 2 after allowing five runs (two earned) in six innings on the mound. SGU fell to 14-20, 8-11 after being swept in the doubleheader.
 

Rogers State (23-11, 12-10) upped its winning streak to five games and will look for the series sweep over the Cavs Sunday. The two teams will play the final game of the series in Shawnee beginning at 2 p.m.