CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State baseball team registered a doubleheader sweep over Baker (Kan.) on Saturday afternoon to split the four-game series.
The Hillcats belted 16 hits to score 15 runs to take the first win of the doubleheader, 15-6, and rounded out the weekend with a 10-1 victory in the nightcap.
GAME ONE Baker dented the scoreboard first in the opener with one run in the second thanks to a RBI single to right field by Cody Gregory to bring Neal Boyce home after hitting a one-out double earlier in the inning.
The Hillcats bounced back with a five-run second to take the lead.
Blake Gipson led off the frame with a single through the right side and scored on a double by
Trae BoBo. With bases loaded,
Alex Cochran tallied a RBI groundout.
Chase Knott followed with a sacrifice bunt to drive in a run.
Caleb Kohlmeyer registered an RBI single and
Cesar Rodriguez rounded out the season with a RBI single.
The Hillcats tacked on a sixth run in the third with a RBI groundout by
Zack Ashford.
In the fourth, Baker posted a trio of runs to cut the deficit but RSU answered with four runs to take a 10-4 advantage. Each team tallied a pair of runs in the fifth and RSU closed out the scoring with a three-run sixth with an RBI groundout by Cochran and a two RBI single by Kohlmeyer.
BoBo went 3-3 with two RBIs and Kohlmeyer went 4-5 with three RBIs to lead the team.
Mason Marquette (2-0) tallied the victory on the mound for RSU, allowing six runs, three earned on eight hits with three strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Edward Layton closed out the contest allowing just one hit in two scoreless innings.
Justin Madsen (0-1) tallied the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits in two innings pitched.
GAME TWO The Hillcats posted runs in three straight innings and the pitching staff posted an impressive afternoon on the mound to help the Hillcats to a 10-1 rout in the nightcap.
Kohlmeyer posted five consecutive hits, spanning from game one to game two. In the bottom of the first, he belted a double to right-center that allowed Cochran to score after leading off the inning with a single up the middle.
Andrew Vanisi tallied an RBI single and
Blake Gipson registered a two-RBI single to round out the inning.
RSU added three more runs in the second and one in the third to make it 8-0. Baker avoided the shutout in the sixth, tallying one run but the Hillcats posted a pair in the bottom of the frame to complete the scoring.
Matthew Shepard (1-0) tallied the win on the mound for RSU tossing five scoreless innings while allowing five hits with two strikeouts. Tyler Brough (0-1) suffered the loss for the Wildcats, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
Rogers State (5-2) will return to the diamond on Tuesday as the Hillcats travel to Northeastern State for a nine inning contest at 1 p.m.
