CLAREMORE, Okla.- The No.18 Rogers State softball team salvaged a twin bill split on Tuesday evening against Bacone College at the Diamond Sports Complex.
The Hillcats left seven runners stranded in the opening game as the Warriors tallied a 7-3 victory. In the nightcap, the Hillcats fell behind twice but clawed past Bacone, 5-4, in extra innings.
GAME ONE
In the top of the second, the Warrior hit consecutive singles and Keri Schmidt drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. With one out, Sam Ferguson slapped a RBI single to center field to put BC on the board. Lauren Peraza hit a ground ball to the shortstop but Ashlie Fauchier slipped and could not make the throw to first, allowing her to reach first while Lucy Walters scored on the batted ball. With the bases loaded and two outs, Kelli Costello drew a full-count walk to send the final run of the inning home.
Trailing by three runs, the Hillcats cut the deficit in the bottom of the third. With one out, Katrina Loy, Fauchier and Jamie King tallied successive singles to load the bases. Laura Fleck drew a walk to send Loy home but RSU left a pair of runs stranded to end the inning.
Tarah Moutray pushed the Warrior lead to 5-1 in the fifth with a two-run home run over the center field fence. BC added two more insurance runs in the seventh to make it a 7-1 contest.
Fauchier sparked a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh with an infield single. King doubled to center field to put runners in scoring position and Fleck walked to load the bases. Candace Monigold belted a two-RBI double to right-center field but that was as close as the Hillcat would get to the lead, falling 7-3.
Fleck was tagged with the complete game loss as she allowed seven runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.
Lucy Walters earned the win as she allowed three runs on nine hits with one strikeout in seven innings pitched.
GAME TWO
The Hillcats were forced to rally once again in the nightcap as Bacone opened the first frame with one run on three hits.
It took six innings and a rain delay to get the Hillcats on the board. Jackie Flores ignited the rally with a one-out single to left field and Monigold followed with a double down the right field line to put runners in scoring position. Walters then came in to pitch for starter Taylor Paulson. After a ten minute rain delay, Taran Threet gave the Hillcats their first lead of the night with a two-RBI single to left field and advanced to third on the throw. Shona Guerrero singled to left to send Threet home and give RSU a 3-1 advantage.
The Warrior wouldn't be silenced easily as they battled to knot the score 3-3 in the seventh with a two-out, two-run home run by Moutray.
The Hillcats put a pair of runners on base with no outs but failed to plate the game-winning run, forcing the game into extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Chelsea Shuler plated the go-ahead run with a single to left field. In the bottom of the frame, RSU tied the score as Flores reached home on a wild pitch. Walters couldn't find the strike zone, walking two straight RSU batters before Paulson re-entered to pitch. The Hillcats walked off with the win in the next at bat as Desiree Ayarzagoitia knocked the ball down the right field line, allowing Threet to score, ending the game with the 5-4 victory.
Fleck (25-9) earned the win in the circle as she tossed the complete-game win, allowing four runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts.
Walters (7-7) was tagged with the loss as she tossed two innings and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Rogers State (36-9) returns to action on Wednesday as the Cats travel to Oklahoma Wesleyan for a doubleheader starting a 5 p.m.
