CLAREMORE, Okla. – Caleb Kohlmeyer powered the offense for the Rogers State baseball team in a 17-1 rout of Bacone College Friday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
The senior went 4-for-5 from the plate and nearly matched the school record totaling six RBI, one shy of the all-time mark, hitting a grand slam in a 13-run sixth inning. The Hillcats took advantage of 13 free passes from Warrior pitching, while adding 12 hits.
 
RSU starting pitcher Blake Roley found himself in a bases loaded jam in the first inning issuing a walk and a hit batter. The junior and his defense escaped the frame unscathed and turned the momentum into a lead in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Kohlmeyer looped a one-out single into left and moved to third on wild pitches from Bacone's starter Jason Diaz. Cesar Rodriguez drove him in with a sacrifice fly into shallow center giving the Hillcats a 1-0 advantage.
 
Roley settled into the game facing the minimum in the third after three-straight outs in the second. He got some quality play in the field as Ismael Orozco helped turn a double play and Samuel Davison made an over-the-shoulder, diving catch in foul territory to end the inning.
 
Kohlmeyer and Rodriguez came through with RBI singles in the fifth as RSU posted a three-run frame pushing its lead to 4-0. The Hillcats capitalized on six walks and four hit batters in the sixth leading to 13 runs. Kohlmeyer capped the inning hammering a ball into left center clearing the bases for his second home run of the season and first-career grand slam.
 
The Warriors got on the scoreboard in the seventh off the RSU bullpen, but closer Rusty Huber struck out the side in the ninth to finish off the 17-1 victory. Roley earned his second win of the year allowing three hits in five innings of work and struck out seven. Colton Crocker and Rodriguez added multi-hit performances at the plate.
 
The Hillcats (6-1 overall) close the home-and-home series against the Warriors Saturday afternoon in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Game one of the doubleheader is slated to begin at noon with live stats available at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.