MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Rogers State softball team could not hold off a pair of high-powered offenses Saturday at the Southern Arkansas Festival falling 12-4 to Delta State before dropping an 8-0 decision to host Southern Arkansas.
 
GAME ONE – Delta State
RSU scored early and had leads at two different times only to see DSU rally back for a 12-4 win started by a five-run fifth inning.
 
After the Lady Statesmen took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Hillcats settled in and tallied a three-run bottom half of the frame. Ashleigh Stidman led off with a single into right center and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Katelyn Gamble. Rachel Jones delivered an RBI single to even the score and Malori Moss added an RBI double. Taylor Sutterfield followed on a single that scored Katlin Alexander for a 3-1 advantage.
 
DSU went down in order in the second, but tacked on two runs in the third to tie the game, 3-3. The Hillcats again took a lead scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the third as Morgen Blanchard started with a double. With two outs, Sutterfield reached on an error to plate Blanchard for a 4-3 lead.
 
RSU could not hold off a DSU rally as the Lady Statesmen scored nine-consecutive runs and evened the game in the fifth before a five-run sixth broke the game open. DSU added three runs in the seventh to close out the contest, 12-4.
 
Stidman, Blanchard, and Sutterfield led the Hillcats' offense with two hits each and Jones was tagged with the loss from the circle pitching 5.2 innings.
 
GAME TWO – Southern Arkansas
The Hillcats ran into a rolling offense in the nightcap falling 8-0 to the festival host Southern Arkansas.
 
In the bottom of the first, RSU turned a double play, but a walk followed by three-consecutive hits gave the host Muleriders a 2-0 advantage. SAU loaded the bases in the second scoring on a sacrifice fly
 
The deficit moved to three in the second on a sacrifice fly and swelled to 6-0 on a Darian Harris, three-run home run in the fourth for the Muleriders. SAU closed out the 8-0, run-rule victory with an unearned run in the fourth before another unearned run in the fifth.
 
Gamble and Blanchard posted the only hits for the Hillcats and Jessica Christian was charged with the loss for the navy and red, while SAU moved to 4-0 this season without allowing a single run.
 
RSU (0-4 overall) closes the Southern Arkansas Festival with a single game Sunday morning at 10 a.m. facing Southwest Baptist.