CLAREMORE, Okla. – Making his first career start in the navy and red, Landon Nealon led the Rogers State baseball team to a 6-3 midweek victory over Pittsburg State on Wednesday (March 1) at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
Nealon, a junior from Newberry Park, Calif., went 6.0 innings, his longest outing in a Hillcat uniform, and allowed only one run on five hits with two strikeouts.
 
The RSU offense helped Nealon out early with runs in each of the first three innings. The Cats went up, 1-0, in the first inning when Chris Miguel doubled down the line to score Bradley Degnan. RSU added two more runs in the second inning. A passed ball brought Ismael Orozco home, and a sacrifice fly plated Derek Brumble for the 3-0 edge.
 
The Gorillas posted their only run off Nealon on a solo home run in the third inning to pull to within two at 3-1.
 
An error from PSU in the third inning scored Miguel for a 4-1 RSU advantage.
 
PSU tried to rally with two runs in the seventh inning to close to within one at 4-3, but the Hillcats added two more in the eighth to secure the 6-3 win. The Gorillas singled to the gap in right to plate their two runs in the seventh for the 4-3 score. In the eighth for RSU, Orozco continued to swing a hot bat as he hit a two-run single to score Degnan and Sam Davison.
 
Justin Magstadt pitched one inning, and closer Rusty Huber went the final 2.0 innings to register his third save of the season. Huber totaled three strikeouts as the RSU pitching staff combined for seven in the nine-inning game.
 
Orozco finished 2-for-3 hitting at the plate with two RBI from the six spot in the lineup. Brumble went 3-for-5 with one run scored.
 
The Hillcats remain at home for a three-game series against College of the Ozarks (Mo.) this weekend. The series starts on Friday (March 3) with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.