CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State Hillcat softball team swept Oklahoma Baptist Thursday evening at the Hillcat Complex and in the process moved from seventh in the Sooner Athletic Conference to a tie for fifth in the standings.
RSU topped the Bison in a low scoring affair in the opening game 1-0 and it took extra inning heroics once again for the Hillcat softball team as a RBI single in the eighth inning gave the Cats a 3-2 victory. The eighth inning heroics marks the second time this week that coach Mark Dicus' squad has pulled off the victory with a walk-off single in extra innings.
GAME ONE
OBU was able to hold the Hillcats hitless through the first three innings before a single by Kaitlin McCool broke Lady Bison pitcher Cassidi Henderson's no-hitter attempt up in the fourth.
Then in the home half of the fifth McCool broke the scoreless tie with a single to right field scoring pinch runner Jessie Wilhelm from second base and put the Hillcats up 1-0.
Hillcat pitcher Laura Fleck retired the next nine batters over the final three innings to earn the win for RSU. Fleck (26-10) allowed just four hits fanning three Lady Bison. Henderson (8-8) received the loss for OBU as the junior allowed one earned run on six hits as she walked one and struck out three.
McCool went 2-for-3 at the plate with what proved to be the game winning RBI.
GAME TWO
OBU quickly jumped ahead of the Hillcats in the nightcap as Ashley Clifton scored from second on a single to shallow right-center by Destinee Santistevan gave the Lady Bison the 1-0 advantage in the first.
The Lady Bison didn't strike again until the top of the fifth inning. Audrey Branscum led off with a single marking the fourth consecutive inning that OBU led off with a base runner. Branscum moved to second on a single by Clifton and scored on an error by the RSU leftfielder to give OBU the 2-0 lead heading into the home half of the fifth.
RSU responded in the bottom half of the fifth Ashlie Fauchier singled to left field scored Kirsten Leppla from third. An errant throw by the Lady Bison catcher as Fauchier moved to second scored McCool and tied the game at 2-2 after five innings.
In extra innings the Cats moved the international tie breaker Ashlie Dillman to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kaitlin McCool. Then on a 1-0 pitch Ashlie Fauchier singled to the second baseman who quickly fired to first. The first baseman came off the bag to throw home to the catcher as Dillman slid below the tag to give RSU the 3-2 victory.
Fauchier hit 2-for-4 with two RBI including the game winning RBI single.
Fleck (27-10) recorded the win for the Hillcats after allowing two runs, one earned, on eight hits as she struck out just one. The Muskogee, Okla. native is just two wins shy of former Hillcat pitcher Jenny Johnson's program record of 29 wins in a season after the doubleheader sweep of OBU.
Noelle McDowell (7-10) received the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits and fanned four batters.
Rogers State (35-12, 8-8) will return to action on Saturday at the Hillcat Complex as No. 3-ranked Oklahoma City comes to Claremore. Visit www.rsuhillcats.com prior to Saturday for game time of the doubleheader versus the Stars.
