ALVA, Okla. – After dropping the series opener Friday evening, the Rogers State baseball team responded with a doubleheader sweep Saturday of Northwestern Oklahoma State. The Diamond Cats claimed game one 4-0 and took the nightcap 5-2 in 11 innings.
GAME ONE
The first game of the doubleheader saw the Hillcats jump ahead early posting four runs over the opening two innings as coach Ron Bradley's squad held off the host Rangers the rest of the seven-inning affair.
RSU scored its lone run in the first inning as Eric Baker came home from third on a wild pitch by Clay Thomas putting the Hillcats up 1-0.
In the top of the second, back-to-back walks put runners on second and first. Baker came to the plate with two-outs and hit a first pitch, 3 run home run to right field to give RSU a 4-0 advantage.
Brandon Bargas (3-2) returned to his winning ways on the Owasso, Okla. native earned the complete game victory. The junior southpaw fanned eight batters while issuing just one walk and allowing three hits.
Baker went 2-for-3 in the opening game of the doubleheader with three RBI and reaching base on balls once.
Clay Thomas received the loss for the NWOSU going two innings allowing four runs, all earned, on three hits and issuing three walks. Jeff Davis pitched five innings in relief for the Rangers giving up three hits as he held the Cats without a run.
GAME TWO
The nightcap victory for the Hillcats required four extra innings and four runs by RSU in the 11th for the Cats to claim the 5-2 win.
Lance Rymel led off the top of the 11th inning with a walk and Alex Cochran, pinch running for Rymel, stole second to put one runner in scoring position without an out. Cody Campbell singled to left moving Cochran to third and Randy Ramirez's single to center scored the speedster from Broken Arrow, Okla. to put the Hillcats up 2-1 in extra innings.
RSU wasn't done there as Cade McKewon blasted a three-run, homerun on the first pitch to stretch the Hillcats lead to 5-1.
The Rangers were able to press the Hillcats in the home half of the 11th as George Mendoza doubled to deep right-center, scoring Juan Natal to trim the RSU lead to just three runs. The Hillcats went to Zack Williams out of the bullpen; the senior closer allowed a single to his first batter faced putting runners on the corners. The righty from Roland, Okla. struck out Patrick Johnson Jr. and the Hillcats got a force out at second to claim the 11 inning, 5-2 victory.
The scoring was limited to just the extra innings as the Cats jumped on the board first with a RBI ground out by Rymel scored Hector Rivera and put RSU up 1-0 in the fourth. NWOSU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with one run as the Cats committed two errors.
Eric Faust (6-1) earned the win in relief for RSU going three and one-third innings allowing one earned run on four hits and fanning two Ranger batters. Zack Williams' received the save, his third on the season, as he went two-thirds of an inning allowing one hit and struck out one. Hillcat starter Kyle Duncan went seven innings giving up one unearned run on four hits as he walked two and struck out one.
Randy Ramirez went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Hillcats as the senior short stop tallied one RBI. Fellow middle infielder Hector Rivera went 2-for-5 in game two as the Cats posted 10 runs but committed four errors defensively.
Jordan Flittie received the loss for the Rangers in relief. Flittie pitched three innings, allowed four runs, all earned, and gave up six hits. Zac Floyd started for NWOSU and pitched six innings allowing three hits and one earned run before Derek Epps came in for relief. Epps pitched two innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.
The victory gives RSU its 30th win on the season marking the fourth time in program history that the Hillcats have won at least 30 games.
Rogers State (30-9, 13-8) will remain on the road as the Hillcats face Oklahoma Wesleyan in Bartlesville, Okla. on Tuesday, April 3. First pitch for the nine-inning affair is scheduled for 8 p.m.
