CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State notched its first win over a ranked opponent this season with a doubleheader split against No. 19 Southern Nazarene Saturday afternoon at the Hillcat Complex.
 

Joe Manbodh ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Hillcats a 2-1 victory in the opener. The victory also marked the 100th career win for Head Coach Ron Bradley at RSU.
 

The Crimson Storm scored six runs over the final three innings to win the nightcap, 8-2 and claim the series by taking two of three games. SNU defeated the Cats, 18-15 Thursday afternoon in Bethany, Okla.

GAME ONE
 

RSU edged the Storm for a 2-1 victory in the opener with clutch hitting and a gutsy pitching effort. 

Manbodh laced a single past a drawn-in SNU infield to score the winning run from third base in the bottom of the eighth inning. Coby Wright walked to start the at-bat and pinch-runner Tyler Harold raced from first to third on a single by Zach Hamby. Mandbodh belted a sharp grounder that eluded the backhanded effort of SNU second baseman Chase Glaum for the game-winner.

The Hillcats led 1-0 after Ryan Littlejohn opened the second inning with an opposite-field home run. The Crimson Storm tied the game with a pair of two-out singles in the fifth, but could do no further damage against a duo of Hillcat hurlers.

RSU starter Randy Jones allowed just one run on five hits through the first five innings to keep the Cats locked in a tie game. Sophomore southpaw Sam Cornell tossed three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win. Cornell (4-1) yielded just two hits and tallied two strikeouts over the final three SNU at-bats. Chase Roten (2-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs on three hits in 7.1 innings of work. The game-winning hit came off of reliever Josh Cephas.

Rob Rodriguez tallied two of the Hillcats five hits while Littlejohn and Manbodh added one hit and one RBI apiece.

GAME TWO
 

The RSU pitching staff couldn't keep the Crimson Storm lineup quiet in the nightcap as SNU scored eight runs on 12 hits to take the series finale, 8-2.
 

The Storm broke loose from a one-run game in the top of the fifth inning with three runs on four hits. Roten, Glaum and Nick Spears started the frame with three straight singles to chase RSU starter Josh Phillippi from the game. Matt Powell greeted reliever Cristian Baez with an RBI sacrifice bunt and Sam Mercado made it 5-1 with a run-scoring single to left field.
 

SNU tacked on two unearned runs in the sixth and added a final tally when Mercado tripled and scored in the seventh. Wright singled home Kevin Phillips in the bottom of the seventh to reach the final margin, 8-2.
 

Lefty Andrew Steinmeyer kept the RSU lineup in check for most of the afternoon. He scattered nine hits across seven innings to post a complete-game victory. Steinmeyer (4-2) allowed two earned runs with three strikeouts and one walk. Phillippi (3-3) took the loss after giving up five runs on nine hits in four innings of work.
 

Wright went 3-for-4 with two RBI while Brandon Denton and Hamby chipped in with two hits apiece. Spears led the way for the Storm with four hits and four RBI in the nightcap.
 

Rogers State (25-15, 10-11) maintained its hold on sixth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with the doubleheader split. The Hillcats will travel to Tahlequah, Okla., Tuesday for a non-conference tilt against Northeastern State. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.