WICHITA FALLS, Texas –Rogers State softball Head Coach Amy Cope earned her first-career victory as the Hillcats opened day two of the Holiday Inn at the Falls Invitational Saturday with a 5-3 win over Southern Arkansas but dropped a 6-2 decision in the final game of the day to Cameron at Mustangs Park.
RSU's first three hitters scored all five runs against the Muleriders as Toni Shurtliff and Taran Threet scored two each while Makenzie Kirk and Jackie Flores tallied two RBI apiece.
The Hillcats broke a scoreless tie in the third as Jamie Kowalick got a one-out single followed by Candace Monigold and Shurtliff getting beaned. Kirk hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs before Flores drove home Threet.
After the Muleriders got two runs back in the top of the fifth on two Hillcat errors, RSU responded by matching the two runs taking advantage of two SAU errors and a sacrifice fly by Flores for a 5-2 advantage.
Yolanda Rios allowed another run in the sixth but shut the door on the rally stranding two runners in the seventh to seal the first win of the season for Coach Cope and RSU, 5-3.
In the final game of the day delayed by nearly two hours, RSU started to get its bats going but most of their chances ended up right at the defense and could not come up with a break.
Cameron opened the scoring in the second with a lead-off double by Paige Daino, who later crossed the plate with a sacrifice fly.
The Hillcats answered right back in the third with Carley Conley driving a double down the right field line and reached third on a groundout. Cailin Simpson picked up the RBI laying down a perfect squeeze bunt scoring Conley to even the score 1-1.
RSU struggled to retire the Aggies' speedsters at the bottom of the batting order as they led to the go-ahead run in the fourth and helped plate three in the sixth stretching the lead to 6-1.
Monigold started the final inning with a single up the middle and quickly made it to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Kirk followed with a line drive single to right scoring Monigold before Threet made it three-consecutive hits on another single as balls finally found their way to open space.
The Hillcats were able to get runners on second and third with the tying run on deck but left both stranded falling in the night cap 6-2.
Rogers State (1-3) closes the tournament Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. facing the host Mustangs of Midwestern State.
