CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State Baseball team's comeback bid fell short on Saturday as the Hillcats dropped the rubber match of a non-conference series with the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith 10-8 at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
Arkansas-Fort Smith took the lead on a solo homerun in the second inning and then added four more runs in the third inning to grab a commanding lead early.
 
With runners on second and third in the bottom of the third inning, Nick Follett would bring home Rogers State's first run, as Christian Merriwether scored on a sacrifice fly.
 
The visitors would extend their lead to 7-1 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. However, the Hillcats would answer back with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to cur the deficit to 7-6.
 
Grant Farris started the scoring with a single to center field with the bases loaded, as Christopher Ford would score from third. Follett would follow it up with a walk, as Merriwether scored.'
 
Following a balk that allowed Zack Mann to score from third, Brandon Bradshaw grounded out to the right side, allowing Farris to score from third and Follett to move 90 feet away.
 
Follett would then score off of the bat of Brendan Griffith, who singled up the middle to cap the scoring for the Hillcats.
 
Despite a strong start to the comeback, the Hillcats would be unable to close the gap in the sixth or seventh inning. The Lions would eventually respond with two runs in the top of the eighth.
 
The Hillcats would close the gap back to one once more as Mann and Farris both drove in runs with Blake Chiaramonte and Dylan Russell scoring in the bottom of the eight to make it 9-8.
 
However, Arkansas-Fort-Smith would load the bases and score on a hit by pitch in the top of the ninth and the Hillcats were unable to get a base runner beyond first base in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Rogers State will now set its sights on Heartland Conference play as the Hillcats travel to Laredo, Texas to take on Texas A&M International in a three-game series on March 22-23.