CLAREMORE, Okla.- The Rogers State softball team registered a pair of victories over Grand View (Iowa) in its home opener at Claremore High School Softball Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The Hillcats scored three runs in the sixth inning to claim a 3-1 win in the first game of the day. The Hillcats took an early lead in the nightcap but the Viking battled back and sent the game into extra innings where the Cats tallied a 9-8 walk-off win in the eighth.
GAME ONE
The game was a pitcher's duel through five innings as neither was able to dent the scoreboard. RSU tallied its first multi-hit inning in the sixth frame. Katrina Loy led off the inning with a single down the left field line. Keck followed with a bunt and advanced to second on an error by the Vikings. With runners in scoring position, Taran Threet hit a sacrifice fly to put the Cats on the scoreboard. Linsey Curtis belted a two-run blast, her fourth home run of the season, to give RSU a 3-0 lead.
Katie King put GVU on the board in the top of the seventh with an RBI single. However, the Hillcats held the Vikings to win their fifth straight.
Laura Fleck (3-0) remains perfect in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits with two strikeouts.
GAME TWO
It looked like the Hillcats were going to walk away with the win in the first inning as they plated seven runs without registering a hit. The Vikings used three pitchers in the inning as they allowed six walks and GVU tallied two errors to give the Hillcats a seven-run advantage to start the contest.
The Vikings answered with three runs on five hits in the top of the second inning. GVU held the Cats scoreless in the bottom half of the inning and added four more runs in the top of the third to knot the score 8-8.
Curtis struck again in the finale as she put the Cats back on top with a solo shot over the left field fence. However, the Vikings returned the favor in the top of the sixth with back-to-back- doubles to knot the score.
RSU tallied the walk-off win in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch hitter Justine Kodesh led off the inning with a first pitch single and Megan Williams came in to pinch run. Williams stole second and reached third on a ground out by Ashlie Fauchier. With two outs, Shona Guerrero hit an infield single to send Williams home and give the Cats the victory.
Curtis (2-0) earned the win in the circle for RSU as she tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, allowing three hits.
Rogers State (4-0) will wrap up the four-game series with the Vikings on Sunday at Claremore High School Softball Complex. The twin bill is set to start at 12 p.m. Live audio will be offered at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
