GRUVER, Texas – Rogers State baseball claimed a 10-4 victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State Thursday evening at Greyhound Ballpark as the Hillcats tallied 15 hits and benefitted from three Aggies errors.
 
RSU, just three days removed from the conclusion of last weekend's Heartland Conference series versus then No. 19-ranked St. Edward's, looked unaffected by the short week turnaround. Starting pitcher Tim Luce produced a second straight solid performance allowing four runs on six hits in seven innings of work as the junior fanned nine Aggie batters.
 
The Hillcats built an early 3-0 lead with a two RBI single to center by Jason Marley and a RBI single to left centerfield by Garrett Hall. RSU would add another run in the third inning as Hall singled to centerfield scoring Marley from second to stretch the Hillcats lead to 4-1 after OPSU posted a run in the bottom of the second inning.
 
The Aggies would tie the game, 4-4, in the fourth on a Dehryen Noriega three-run home run to leftfield with no outs. Luce would force two grounds outs and a fly out to retire the next three Aggie batters.
 
RSU's offense fired up in the fifth as Garrett Hall tallied his third hit and third RBI of the game with a single to right scoring Chris Miguel. A double by Brooks Douglass to left centerfield plated Ismael Orozco and moved Hall to third.
 
OPSU would call upon Corey Ley out of the bullpen with one out, two runners in scoring position, and trailing by two runs. Ley struck out his first batter faced before a wild pitch scored Hall and moved Douglass to third. Sam Casinelli scored Douglass with a single to right field and gave the Hillcats an 8-4 lead.
 
The Hillcats added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on a Sam Davison single to leftfield scored Derek Brumble and Casinelli. In relief Andrew Lucio would strikeout four of the six batters faced in the final two innings to secure the 10-4 Hillcat victory.
 
Hall finished 3-for-4 from the plate with three RBI and one walk while Marley and Davison went 3-for-5 on the evening as each finished with two RBI and a walk.
 
Hillcat pitchers allowed just eight base runners while striking out 13 Aggies as Luce moved to 4-3 on the season with the win.
 
Rogers State (20-10, 5-5) will close out the three-game series with Oklahoma Panhandle State (8-24, 1-6) at Greyhound Ballpark in Gruver, Texas at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, March 31. Live stats will be available courtesy of OPSU Athletics at www.OPSUAggies.com.