CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State baseball continued its winning ways but it didn't come with ease as the Hillcats swept Clarke University Wednesday evening at a chilly Hillcat Complex.
RSU stretched its longest winning streak in school history to 18 games with a game one victory over the Crusaders 10-9 and then claimed victory in extra innings in game two, 6-5.
GAME ONE
A Randy Ramirez RBI single got the scoring going for the Hillcats in the first inning. A double by Roberto Rivero in the top of the second put two scores on the board for the Crusaders. The Diamond Cats responded putting two runs in the bottom half of the second.
The Cats padded their lead after back-to-back RBI doubles by Ramirez and Cody Campbell putting the score at 5-2 after three. An error in the top of the fourth and two hits tied the ball game heading into the bottom half of the inning. A single by Cade McKewon scored Jairo Valdez to put the Cats back in the lead.
RSU piled on two runs in the bottom of the fifth off a single by Joe Manbodh and the Cats added two more in the sixth off a Kevin Radford single after the Crusaders put one run on the board in the top half.
The Cats made things interesting as Cory Davidson hit a three-run home run to right off of Eric Faust to put the Crusaders within one. Matt Sample entered the contest and sat down his second batter faced on a strike out swinging to give RSU its 18th win of the season and the 10-9 victory.
Drew Taylor (1-1) got the win for the Hillcats after coming in relief and pitching two and one-third innings giving up one hit and one run while walking two. Justin Haas claimed the loss pitching four and two-thirds giving up 13 hits and seven earned runs, striking out one.
Ramirez went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI while midfield mate Jairo Valdez went 2-for-3 with one RBI. RSU had 16 hits while being walked once and tallying 10 RBI.
GAME TWO
The evening ballad started out sloppy for the Hillcats committing three errors in the first two innings. The bats bailed the Cats out early as a sac-fly by Ramirez scored Brandt Barnes from third in the bottom of the opening inning.
Taylor Estes scored as Barnes was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to put the Hillcats up 2-1 after two innings.
From that point RSU went cold just like the weather Wednesday night putting up zeros in the hit and run column for the next two innings. Clarke University capitalized scoring one run in the fourth and three in the top of the fifth and held a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom part of the fifth.
Lance Rymel singled off the right field fence to score Ramirez to get the scoring going in the home half of the fifth inning. A bases loaded walk scored Radford and a Barnes sacrifice fly scored Yarmer on the next at bat. After five innings RSU had tied the game at 5-5. That's when both teams buckled down and went scoreless over the next three innings.
It wasn't until the bottom of the ninth win RSU took advantage of its opportunities. Radford single to third to get on the bases and moved to second when Colton Campbell was hit-by-pitch. Radford moved to third on a delayed steal. That's when Payden Yarmer's infield hit scored Radford and claimed the 18th straight victory for RSU with a 6-5 nine inning win.
Frensly Martina (1-0) registered the win for RSU after pitching the final two innings giving up zero run and no hits while walking one and striking out another against six batters.
Sean O'Connor recorded the loss for the Crusaders as he pitched the final three innings giving up one hit, one run and struck out three.
Rogers State (19-1) will put its 18 game winning streak on the line facing perennial power Lubbock Christian in Lubbock, Texas for a three-game road stand. The two squads will get the series going with a double-header affair on Friday, March 11 starting at 3 p.m. The series will conclude with a nine inning contest on Saturday, March 12 at 1 p.m. against the Chaparrals.
