CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State picked up a series victory on the opening weekend of the 2009 baseball season by sweeping Doane College (Crete, Neb.) in a doubleheader Sunday at the Hillcat Complex.
 

The Hillcats scored two late runs to post a 6-5 win in the opener Sunday and scored eight first inning runs en route to an 11-4 victory in the series finale. RSU won three in a row after losing the season opener Saturday afternoon.

GAME ONE
 

The Cats delivered the final blow in a back-in-forth battle to notch a 6-5 victory in Sunday's opener.
 

RSU fell behind 2-0 in a bizarre first inning. Doane put two runners on base via catcher's interference calls and Thomas Frinkman followed with a two RBI single to right field. Zach Hamby picked up an RBI on a ground out in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half, but the Tigers answered with two runs on three hits in the third.
 

The Hillcats retied the game at 4-4 with a three-run third. Catcher Hank Gray started the inning with a walk and courtesy runner Tyler Harold scored on a Brandon Denton single. Coby Wright drew a walk and then Blake Kelley chased both runners home on a single to left field.
 

However, Doane regained the lead again in the fourth on a single to right by Michael Albert. RSU put runners at second and third with nobody out in the sixth thanks to a hit batter and a throwing error, but nearly squandered away the scoring opportunity when the next two batters failed to advance either runner. Coach Ron Bradley called upon junior Andy Gonell to pinch hit with two outs and the Dominican Republic native delivered in the clutch. Gonell laced the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a two RBI double that proved to be the game winner.
 

Freshman Josh Phillippi pitched two innings of perfect relief to record his first career victory. Phillippi struck out the side in the sixth and didn't allow a ball to leave the infield in the seventh. RSU recorded only four hits in the contest as Kelley and Gonell tallied two RBI apiece.
 

Evan Koetter was charged with the loss after surrendering two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

GAME TWO
 

RSU put eight runs on the board in the first inning and cruised to an 11-4 decision in the nightcap.
 

Doane starter Jacob Bartek retired only one batter before being chased from the game in the first. He walked four of the seven batters he faced and was touched for an RBI double by Kelley. The Hillcats reached reliever Mykel Erickson for two more runs in the inning before calling it quits. Joe Manbodh greeted Erickson with a single to left and Kevin Phillips followed with a sacrifice fly. Denton capped off the first inning fireworks with a two-run single to left.
 

RSU starter Chris Graves tossed three scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen. The southpaw yielded only one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Sophomore Joe Hardzog was credited with the win after working a scoreless inning of a relief. Hardzog, Arten White, Jason Travis and Jake Taylor pitched one inning apiece. The Tigers scratched across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings and touched Taylor for two runs in the seventh before bowing out.
 

Zach Hamby and Luis Caraballo tacked on insurance runs in the fourth as Ryan Littlejohn delivered an RBI single. Phillips picked up his second RBI of the day with a fielder's choice ground out in the sixth. Denton and Littlejohn joined Phillips with two RBI. Caraballo scored three times while Littlejohn had two of the Cats seven hits.
 

Rogers State (3-1) returns to the diamond next weekend as the Hillcats host Kansas Wesleyan (Salina, Kan.) in a four-game series at the Hillcat Complex. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for noon.