GRUVER, Texas – The Rogers State Hillcats swept the doubleheader Friday and swept the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggies in the three-game Heartland Conference baseball series Friday at Greyhound Ballpark.
In a breakfast and baseball doubleheader that began at 8:30 a.m., the Hillcats swept the Aggies in decisive fashion with a 9-3 game one victory before taking the second game 9-1.
GAME ONE
RSU's
Chris Miguel doubled to leftfield scoring
Sam Davison to give RSU a 1-0 lead in the first inning. OPSU would even the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the second on a RBI double by Chase Graf.
In the third inning the HIllcats took a lead it wouldn't relinquish after back-to-back singles by
Cale Backward and
Sam Casinelli led off the inning. Davison would score Backward on a sacrifice fly to right field. Miguel reached on a walk and stole second to put runners in scoring position with
Jason Marley at the plate. The Hillcats' designated hitter singled to right scoring Casinelli and Miguel and pushing the Hillcat lead to 4-1.
Bradley Degnan singled to start the fifth inning for RSU and scored on a double by
Chris Miguel, the second extra base hit for the Hillcats second baseman of the game, for a 5-1 RSU lead.
The barn doors swung open for the HIllcats in the seventh inning with four runs the first coming on a fielder's choice RBI by
Cale Backward scoring
Jason Marley. Davison tallied his second and third RBI of the game on a single to score Backward and
Ismael Orozco. The final run for RSU would come on a RBI double by Degnan to score Casinelli for a 9-1 Hillcat advantage.
The Aggies would plate two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning before
Justin Magstadt came on in relief with bases loaded and two outs to force a fielder's choice putout and secure the Hillcats 9-3 victory.
Spencer Bivens (6-1) earned the victory for RSU as the starter went 6.2 innings allowing four runs, three earned, while fanning seven Aggies and issuing four walks.
RSU totaled 11 hits in the first game as four Hillcat batters totaled two hits each as the Aggies were held to just four hits.
GAME TWO
OPSU took an early 1-0 lead before the Hillcats posted three runs in the second inning on way to an 9-1 victory.
A lead-off home run by Miguel evened the score before a double by
Garrett Hall rode the left field line to score
Jason Marley pushing the Hillcats up 2-1.
Cale Backward doubled to right centerfield to score Hall and RSU led 3-1.
Miguel tallied his second RBI of the game giving RSU a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning. Casinelli reached on an error in the seventh and scored along with Degnan on a single by Miguel as the Hillcats took a five run lead.
In the eighth inning, the Hillcats totaled three runs to lead 9-1 with a two RBI double to left centerfield by Davison and a RBI single by Degnan.
RSU relief pitcher
Brock Knoten faced the minimum in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory for the Hillcats. Knoten pitched 3.1 innings allowing no hits and no runs while walking one and striking out two.
Landon Nealon (3-0) earned the victory in 5.2 innings pitched allowing one earned run on five hits walking two and striking out three. The Hillcat pitching staff limited Oklahoma Panhandle State (8-26, 1-8) to five hits in game two and struck out five Aggies.
Miguel batted 4-for-5 with four RBI as the Hillcats totaled nine hits and drew eight walks in the final game of the series. The senior second basemen went 6-for-8 on the day with two doubles, one home run and totaling six RBI.
Rogers State (22-10, 7-5) hosts Southern Nazarene on Tuesday, April 4 at 2 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex in Claremore, Okla. RSU Radio 91.3 FM will broadcast the action versus the Crimson Storm with live video streaming and statistics available on the Hillcat Network at
www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
