CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State earned an important conference series victory by splitting a Saturday doubleheader with Mid-America Christian at the Hillcat Complex in Claremore.

 
The Cats claimed the series opener with a 14-4 win Thursday in Oklahoma City. RSU edged the Evangels 3-2 in Saturday's opener before losing the finale, 4-3 in 12 innings. 

GAME ONE
 
Hillcat hurler Tyler Garner tossed a complete-game gem to push RSU past the Evangels in game one. Garner worked with virtually no margin for error all afternoon long and finished with a season-high nine strikeouts. 
 
The Cats grabbed a 2-1 lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Billy Balak and Rob Rodriguez delivered back-to-back RBI singles to put RSU in front for good. Three straight hits by Brandt Barnes, Luis Caraballo and Zach Hamby made it 3-1 in the fifth, but the Evangels scratched back with a run in the top of the sixth.
 
MACU put the go-ahead run on base in the top of the seventh before Garner notched back-to-back strikeouts to secure the win. Garner (7-5) needed 130 pitches to put the Evangels away. Taylor Foster (2-2) took the loss for MACU after working the first four innings. Barnes and West led the Cats with two hits apiece. 

GAME TWO
 
RSU struggled to cash in on scoring opportunities and failed to complete the series sweep as MACU took game three in 12 innings. 
 
Matt Allen led off the top of the 12th with a double and scored the winning run on a single by James Frederick. The Hillcats were limited to just six hits in the contest and did not register a hit after the seventh inning. 
 
The game should have ended in seventh as Barnes lifted a routine fly ball to centerfield with two outs. However, Evangels' centerfielder Brian Carter slipped and fell while getting in position to make the play. The ball fell safely to the turf and Jairo Valdez raced home with the tying run. RSU stranded runners in scoring position in the ninth, tenth and 12th innings.
 
Ivan Juvera (2-1) earned the win with two innings of relief for the Evangels. MACU starter David Wynn used 165 pitches to get through nine innings, racking up 14 strikeouts along the way. Casey Cassity (2-1) suffered the loss for the Hillcats. The southpaw allowed one run on four hits over the final four innings.
 
Rogers State (25-19, 12-15) will take two days off before hitting the road Tuesday night to face Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.