CLAREMORE, Okla. - The No.19-ranked Rogers State baseball team opened the three-game series against No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist on Thursday with a 6-4 win at the Hillcat Complex in Claremore.

The Bison struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Daniel Howell started the scoring with a RBI double down the right field line.  Frankie Rivera sent Howell home with a fielder's choice to second base.

The Hillcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Lance Rymel opened the inning with a walk and reached third on a single by Cody Campbell. He scored on a wild pitch by Steven Messner to put the Cats on the scoreboard. Keith Poverud followed with a RBI single to knot the game 2-2.

In the bottom of the fourth, Cody Campbell led off the inning with a double and advanced to third with a groundout by Randy Ramirez. The Hillcats took the lead with a sacrifice squeeze bunt by Cade McKewon, allowing Cody Campbell to score. An RBI single by Colton Campbell in the fifth pushed the Cats lead to 4-2.

OBU got a run back in the sixth with a two-out RSU error that allowed Daniel Baptista to score. The Hillcats erased the run in the seventh with a two-out RBI single by Colton Campbell.

Michael Cerda belted a RBI singled down the right field line in the eighth as the Bison trailed 5-4. The Cats tallied an insurance run in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single by Ramirez.

Brandon Bargas closed out the final 1.1 innings and faced the minimum in the ninth to earn the save. Shawn Spainhoward tallied the win as he tossed 7.1 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with four strikeouts.

Steve Messner suffered the loss on the mound for the Bison has he hurled 6.2 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

Rogers State (25-5, 8-4) will travel to Shawnee, Okla. on Saturday to face the Bison (25-3, 6-1) in a doubleheader at Ford Park on the OBU Campus.