CONWAY, Ark. - The Rogers State softball team continued to showcase its offensive prowess while posting a 4-1 record Friday and Saturday at the Central Baptist College Tournament in Conway, Ark.
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The Hillcats scored double digit runs in three of their five contests and cranked out nine home runs. RSU notched victories over Mid-Continent University and Baker University Friday and Lambuth University and Bacone College Saturday. The Cats lone loss came to Williams Baptist College Friday afternoon.
GAME ONE (vs. Mid-Continent)
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The Hillcats scored six runs over the first two innings behind home runs by Marie Gaudet and Taryn Hernandez and cruised to a 14-6 run-rule victory over Mid-Continent Friday.
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Gaudet ripped a three-run bomb in the first and Hernandez belted a two-run homer in the second. Hernandez added a three-run double in the fifth and finished 3 for 3 with five RBI. RSU plated six runs in the top of the fifth to reach the short-game victory.
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Hernandez earned the win with 3.1 innings of work while April Carter took the loss for Mid-Continent. Sarah Harvey joined Hernandez with three hits in the game.
GAME TWO (vs. Williams Baptist)
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A two-out error proved costly for RSU as Williams Baptist scored four runs in the third inning and knocked off the Hillcats, 5-1.
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Katie Bointy gave the Cats a 1-0 lead with an RBI single to left field in the top of the second. Williams Baptist answered with one run in the bottom of the frame and then capitalized on a mistake with four runs in the third.
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With two runners on and two outs, Coats struck out Jillian Graham to end the inning. However, catcher Dina Ortiz dropped the ball and failed to throw the runner out at first. The Eagles took advantage of the extra out with four runs on three hits in the inning.
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Eagles' starter Kayla Stellato kept the Cats off the scoreboard the rest of the afternoon. She allowed one run on four hits in a complete-game victory. Coats suffered the loss after giving up five runs, two earned, in six innings of work.
GAME THREE (vs. Baker University)
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The Cats took out their frustrations from the loss with a 10-3 drubbing of Baker University in the final game Friday.
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RSU scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman Shelby Brogdon capped the scoring with two-run homer over the boards in the centerfield. The Hillcats led 9-0 after three innings. Gaudet brought home the final run with an RBI double in the sixth.
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Coats went 4 for 4 at the plate and also tossed a complete game in the pitcher's circle. The junior transfer allowed three runs on five hits while racking up six strikeouts. Brittany Vollenweider suffered the loss for Baker after being chased from the game in the first inning.
GAME FOUR (vs. Lambuth University)
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RSU jumped all over Lambuth University in the first two innings and rolled to a 13-5 short-game victory in the opener Saturday.
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The Hillcats crushed four home runs in their first two at-bats and led 9-0 after two innings. Linsey Curtis and Brogdon went deep in the first inning. Hernandez sent a three-run shot over the boards in the second and Curtis followed with her second homer just two batters later.
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Bointy added a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth and the Cats added two runs in the sixth to reach the final margin. Curtis, Hernandez and Ashlie Fauchier and Brittany White tallied three hits apiece.
Hernandez (6-0) kept her perfect record intact with a complete game performance. She allowed five runs, four earned, on nine hits. Dentaisha Meadows was tagged with the loss for Lambuth.
GAME FIVE (vs. Bacone College)
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The Hillcats closed out the weekend with a 6-1 victory over Bacone College Saturday afternoon.
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Curtis put the Cats on the scoreboard with a two-run blast in the top of the third inning. Fauchier, Harvey and Curtis belted three straight singles in the fourth and Coats chipped in with an RBI double down the left field line.
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Coats held the Lady Warriors scoreless until the seventh when an error led to the only Bacone run of the day. Coats (8-4) allowed just one unearned run on four hits with five strikeouts. Curtis picked up three hits while Fauchier and Coats tallied two apiece.
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Rogers State (14-4) returns home Tuesday to face Mid-America Christian in a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Hillcat Complex in Claremore. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.