PLAINVIEW, Texas - The No. 19 Rogers State baseball team earned a series victory over Wayland Baptist on Friday with a doubleheader sweep at Wilder Field in Plainview, Texas.
Colton Campbell crushed two home runs in the opener as the Hillcats registered a 7-4 win. In the nightcap, the Hillcats compiled 11 hits and scored six runs in the final three innings to earn a 6-1 victory.
GAME ONE
A pair of home runs by junior Colton Campbell sparked the Hillcats offense in the first game of the day. With two strikes against him, Colton Campbell put the Hillcats on the scoreboard in the top of the second with a two-run blast over the left field fence.
Junior Hector Rivera gave the Hillcats a 3-0 advantage in the third with an RBI ground out. WBU answered with a two-out homer over the left-center field fence by Josh Carroll.
After two scoreless innings, the Hillcats struck again in the sixth frame. With runners on second and third, senior Lance Rymel hit an RBI single. Colton Campbell followed, belting his second home run of the game, plating three runs.
The Pioneers cut the deficit in the bottom half of the inning with a trio of runs and held the Diamond Cats scoreless in the top of the seventh. However, Freddy Soto closed out the contest on the mound for the Cats, facing the minimum with two strikeouts as the Hillcats claimed the 7-4 win.
Eric Faust (4-0) kept his perfect record intact with six innings of work while Soto earned his first save of the season with one inning of scoreless relief.
Five of the Hillcats seven RBIs came from Colton Campbell who led the Cats at the plate.
GAME TWO
The nightcap started as a pitching duel until the Hillcats warmed up in the fifth. RSU scored runs in each of the final three innings en route to a 6-1 victory.
RSU tallied three hits through the first four innings while RSU starting pitcher Tyler Garner held the Pioneers hitless until the fourth where he allowed just one hit.
Junior Eric Baker ignited the offense in the fifth with a two-out triple to right-center field. Rivera followed with a single through the left side to give RSU a 1-0 advantage. WBU erased the Hillcat lead in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single by Dilon Chancellor.
With runners in scoring position, Keith Poverud hit a RBI single and a second run advanced home on a WBU error.
RSU tact on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Taylor Estes stole second and reached third on a single by Cody Campbell. Estes then stole home to increase the lead to 4-1. Rymel hit a RBI triple to right field and Colton Campbell rounded out the scoring with a RBI single.
Kyle Duncan (2-0) earned the victory with 3.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
Baker, Poverud, Rymel and Colton Campbell tallied two hit apiece for RSU.
Rogers State (16-1) will look to sweep the Pioneers as the Diamond Cats wrap up the three-game series on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
