LAREDO, Texas – The Rogers State softball team continued its slide in Heartland Conference play falling twice in a doubleheader at Texas A&M International Friday 12-4 in five innings and 9-6.

Despite nearly matching the Dustdevils in the hit department collecting 20 in the two games, the Hillcats struggled to get off the field defensively allowing 21 runs on 21 hits while leaving 14 runners on base.

Senior Candace Monigold had two hits in each game finishing the day 4-for-7 at the plate with four RBIs and two runs scored leading the RSU offense.

Game One

The Dustdevils scored early and often in the opening game of the three-game series putting up seven runs in the second inning off Hillcat starter Brooklyne Harbert. TAMIU sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning recording six hits chasing Harbert for fellow freshman Mikayla McGoldrick. The RSU deficit stretched to 12-0 as the Dustdevils added to their lead tallying five runs in the third on five hits.

Monigold belted her third home run of the season to start the top of the fourth for the Hillcats as they fought back putting up four runs in the frame. RSU left the bases loaded in the fifth as TAMIU closed the opener by run-rule 12-4 in five innings.

Game Two

The Hillcats broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third behind an RBI single from Monigold. Katie Ellington started the frame with a single before crossing the plate on Monigold's drive for the first run of the game and a 1-0 lead.

The Dustdevils evened the score 1-1 in the next frame when Cassandra De Leon drove a two-out single down the line in left off RSU starter Yolanda Rios.

In the fourth, the Hillcats threatened advancing runners to second and third but TAMIU starter Mariena Gallardo escaped the jam without allowing the go-ahead run. RSU chased Gallardo in the fifth after a lead-off single by Jamie Kowalick. Monigold made the Dustdevils pay blasting her fourth home run of the season and second of the day, a two-run shot to right center, off reliever Sarah Johnson giving the Hillcats a 3-1 advantage.

TAMIU used a three-run bottom of the fifth to take its first lead 4-3 and continued to score posting five runs in the sixth. The Dustdevils took control of the game building a 9-3 advantage getting a three-run home run from Chelsea Capello and a two-run homer from Brittany Mussett in the inning.

RSU made things interesting in its final inning as Taran Threet, Rios, and Kelby Fritz all hit RBI singles closing the gap to 9-6 but could get no closer as TAMIU finished off the doubleheader sweep.

Fritz finished the game 3-for-3 while Kowalick had a team-high two runs scored as she and Monigold went 2-for-4 from the plate. The Hillcats matched a season high tallying 12 hits in the game.

Rogers State (3-13, 0-5 HC) aims to snap its five-game losing streak Saturday closing the weekend series with the Dustdevils at noon. Live stats for the game are available courtesy of TAMIU at http://www.sidearmstats.com/tamiu/softball/.