LEWISTON, Idaho - The ninth-seeded Rogers State baseball team choreographed its second straight come-from-behind victory at the Avista-NAIA World Series with a 2-1 upset over top ranked and top seeded LSU-Shreveport on Saturday evening at Harris Field on the campus of Lewis-Clark State.
The Diamond Cats snapped the Pilots 16-game winning streak and handed them just their fifth loss of the season. It's the first time in program history the Cats have topped the No.1 team in the country.
Junior pitcher Brandon Bargas tossed the complete-game victory as he fanned 18 batters and crushed the RSU single-game strikeout record of 11 set by Grant Cosby in 2010. The south paw was just one strikeout shy of the World Series record of 19 set by Larry Crayton of East Carolina in 1961 and Mark Dilley of Winona State in 1962.
After knotting the game 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Bargas helped his own cause in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff double down the left field line. Eric Baker followed and hit the ball towards the shortstop but the ball took a hop and hit pinch runner Taylor Estes who was called out, leaving the Hillcats with a runner on first with one out. Hector Rivera kept the offense going with a single to left field to put Baker in scoring position. Colton Campbell belted a RBI single to left and Baker scored from second, sliding in under the tag at home to give the Hillcats the lead for the first time in the game.
The Pilots opened the ninth inning with a single to left field by Ridge Gonsoulin. Bargas retired the following batter and catcher Lance Rymel caught Gonsoulin stealing to give the Cats two outs. Greg Friesen worked the count full before he became Bargas' 18th and final strikeout victim of the night, sealing the RSU win.
LSUS designated hitter Kade Billeaudeaux dented the scoreboard first with a first pitch one-out blast over the centerfield fence in the top of the third. It was the Lake Mary, Fla. native's first round trip of the season.
The Hillcats used a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh to knot the game 1-1. Cody Campbell ignited the rally as he drew a four-pitch walk. Randy Ramirez followed with a single to right field and Cade McKewon drove Campbell in from second base with a single to left field.
Bargas (7-3) allowed just one run on four hits with one walk while fanning 18. Colton Campbell led the Hillcats at the plate as he went 2-4 with the game-winning RBI.
Jared Mortensen (11-2) was tagged with the loss as he tossed 7.1 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Rogers State (47-14) will return to action at the World Series on Monday as the Cats face fourth-seeded Tennessee-Wesleyan in the winner's bracket a 5 p.m. CST. Live audio will be streamed on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
