OZARK, Mo. – The Rogers State baseball team split two games to start its weekend in Missouri at US Baseball Park, falling to Winona State, 6-3, and defeating Sioux Fall, 2-0, as
Spencer Bivens threw a complete game two-hitter on Friday (March 2).
WSU 6, RSU 3
Winona State used two innings of three runs each to pull out to a 6-2 lead en route to the 6-3 win in the first game of the day.
After RSU scored first in the third inning for a 1-0 edge, WSU put up three runs in its half of the inning for a 3-1 advantage. A double to left plated two runs for a 2-1 score, and another run came in on an RBI groundout for a 3-1 margin after three innings.
Matt Seubert pulled the Cats to within one run at 3-2 on a single to left to score
Garrett Hall in the top of the fifth.
The Warriors responded again with three runs in their half of the inning. After three singles loaded the bases with two outs, Winona worked a walk for one run for a 4-2 score. A hit by pitch added another run before another walk to make it 6-2. A groundout finally ended the Warriors' three-run inning.
RSU put two runners on in the seventh inning and got one run due to a wild pitch, but back-to-back fly outs ended any chances for more scoring in the inning.
In the top of the ninth,
Grant Farris and Degnan tallied back-to-back singles for two on with no outs, but the Warriors shut the door on the Cats with two groundouts and a strikeout for the 6-3 final.
Preston Whitten started on the mound for the navy and red, going 4.2 innings with four strikeouts, but he allowed six runs on eight hits.
Landon Nealon,
Brock Knoten and
Joey Lucas all made appearances in relief.
Garrett Hall was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with one run scored. Farris went 2-for-3. The Cats tallied eight hits in the game.
RSU 2, USF 0
Bivens, a senior from State College, Pa., pitched a shutout two-hitter, going the complete nine innings in the 2-0 victory over Sioux Falls in the second game of the day. The senior totaled eight strikeouts and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning on a single up the middle. The only other hit was an infield single in the fifth. After the second hit, Bivens was unstoppable, only allowing one baserunner for the rest of the game on a walk. That walk was erased on a double play to end the inning.
With the stellar pitching performance, the two runs from the RSU offense was enough to earn the 2-0 victory. Degnan drove in a run in the first inning on an RBI groundout for a 1-0 score.
Blake Chiaramonte singled to center field to make it 2-0 in the fourth inning as Degnan scored.
Degnan finished 2-for-4 with the one RBI in the game against USF.
The Hillcats continue their weekend in Ozarks, Mo. with Sioux Falls on Saturday (March 2) at 6 p.m. Live stats will be available for the contest.
