GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS – The Rogers State baseball team battled back from a game one loss to win the nightcap and split the doubleheader with Arlington Baptist at QuikTrip Park on Friday afternoon.
The Patriots used a five-run sixth to rally to a 9-6 win but the Hillcats answered in game two to earn a 16-6 win.
GAME ONE The Hillcats took an early lead, taking a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first.
Caleb Kohlmeyer belted a one-out triple in the left-center gap and scored on a groundout by Cesar Rodriquez. The lead was short-lived as the Patriots knotted the score in the bottom of the frame with a RBI single to right field by Ivan Rios.
The Patriots took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third with a two-out, three-run home run by Malcolm Cepeda to make it a 4-1 game.
The Hillcats cut the deficit in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs.
Andrew Vanisi stared the fourth with a leadoff double off the wall in right-center field and scored on a
Blake Gipson single through the right side of the infield.
Trae BoBo kept the scoring going with a RBI double belted down the left field line.
RSU battled its way back into the lead in the top of the fifth, plating three runs on four hits. With runners on second and third, Vanisi hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to send Kohlmeyer home after hitting a single earlier in the inning. Rodriguez scored on a pass ball and BoBo drove in the final run of the inning with a RBI double to left field to give the Hillcats a 6-4 lead.
The bottom of the fifth proved to be detrimental to the Hillcats as the Patriots tallied five runs to take the lead and held on for the win.
Travis Teague was tagged with the loss, tossing 2/3 of the sixth inning, allowing four runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Michael Fusselman registered the no decision on the mound after tossing five innings, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
Erick Garcia tallied the win for Arlington Baptist with six innings of work, allowing six runs on nine hits while Josh Darden earned the save, closing out the game and allowing one hit.
Kohlmeyer led the Hillcat offense, going 4-4 from the plate and BoBo followed going 2-3 with two RBI.
GAME TWO RSU opened the nightcap with a three-run first.
Alex Cochran opened the game with a double and scored on a RBI single by Rodriguez. Vanisi followed with a double ripped to left field to drive Rodriquez from first base. BoBo capped the scoring with a RBI single through the left side.
Josh Earthly hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the Hillcat advantage to 3-1. However, the Hillcats added to runs to their total in the top of the fourth with a two-run home run by
Johan Ochoa.
The Patriots evened the score with five runs on four hits.
T.J. Law came into the game in relief with no outs and minimized the damage, getting the Hillcats out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts and a pop out, allowing just one hit.
The Hillcats regained the lead in the top of the seventh with a two out rally. A Kohlmeyer single drove in Ochoa for the go-ahead run and Rodriguez kept the inning going with a RBI single smacked to left field. BoBo, Gipson and
Garrett Hall added to the lead with consecutive bases
loaded walks to bring a trio of runs in to score. Ochoa was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and
Blake Heston belted a three-run double to left field to round out the Hillcats scoring in the inning, pushing the lead to 14-5.
ABC cut the deficit in the bottom of the seventh with one run but the Hillcats answered with two runs in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring and earn the win.
Law earned the win on the mound, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
Rogers State (6-3) will complete the three-game series on Saturday with a nine inning affair against the Patriots at QuikTrip Park. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
