OKLAHOMA CITY – The Rogers State baseball team split a doubleheader with Heartland Conference opponent Oklahoma Christian on Saturday afternoon at Dobson Field.
The Hillcats belted 10 hits in the opener and used a two-run eighth inning to take a 3-1 lead, keeping the Eagles scoreless through the final two frames to hold on for the win. In the nightcap, the Hillcats jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but couldn't hold on down the stretch as the Eagles registered the 7-3 comeback win and the series victory.
GAME ONE After a scoreless first frame, the Eagles jumped to the lead in the bottom of the second with a RBI groundout by Austin Orth to drive in Jackson Matthews, who led off the inning with a double.
RSU evened the score in the fifth with a one-out solo shot blasted over the left field fence by
Cesar Rodriguez.
In the eighth, the Hillcats manufactured a pair of runs to take their first lead of the game. With two outs,
Alex Cochran and
Caleb Kohlmeyer kept the inning alive with consecutive singles. Trae Bobo reached on a fielder's choice and a throwing error by OC brought Cochran home and kept the inning going.
Andrew Vanisi completed the scoring with a RBI double to center, making it a 3-1 game.
OC battled in the bottom of the eighth but left a pair of runners stranded. In the bottom of the ninth, closer
T.J. Law faced the minimum on the mound to close out the win.
Michael Fusselman (2-2) earned the win on the mound for RSU allowing one run on four hits in 7.2 innings of work, fanning five batters. Law secured the win and earned his first save of the season, allowing no hits in 1.1 innings.
Kelby Reneau suffered the loss for OC allowing three runs, one earned, on nine hits in 7.2 innings of work.
Cochran, Kohlmeyer and
Jordan Goode led the Hillcat offense in the game with three hits apiece.
GAME TWO The Eagles registered the come-from-behind victory in the finale, using a six-run fifth to fuel them to the 7-3 win.
An RBI single by Vanisi in the top of the third gave the Hillcats an early 1-0 lead. RSU extended its lead in the fifth with a two-RBI triple belted to centerfield by Gipson.
The three-run lead was short-lived as the Eagles stormed back in the bottom of the fifth frame, driving in six runs on eight hits.
RSU had chances to get back in the game but left runners stranded in each of the final three innings.
Six Hillcats saw the mound in the nightcap as starter Matthew Sheppard was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs on six hits with one strikeout.
Reliever Jared Price earned the win tossing 3.1 innings, allowing two hits while fanning two.
Kohlmeyer was the RSU player with a multi-hit outing in game two, going 2-4 at the plate.
Rogers State (8-11, 1-5 HC) returns to action Tuesday as the Hillcats travel to Arkansas Tech for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
