WICHITA, Kan. – Rogers State Baseball picked up a split to open its series with Newman University Friday afternoon. The Hillcats (12-5) defeated the Jets (9-6) 12-1 in the opener before falling 4-2 in game two.
 
The Hillcats took a lead in game one with Christian Merriwether's infield single in the second inning, scoring Blake Chiaramonte on the play.
 
However, the game would remain tight until the Rogers State offense exploded for 11 runs in the fifth inning, fueled by homeruns from Grant Farris and Nick Follett.
 
Follett started the scoring with a two-RBI single, followed by an RBI single from Griffin Keller to put the Hillcats up 4-0.
 
Follett would then score on a bases loaded walk by Brendan Griffith and Brandon Bradshaw would follow it up by scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Merriwether would bring in another run with an RBI walk to put the Hillcats up 7-0.
 
After Griffith would score on a fielder's choice, Farris would hit a three-run homerun to put the Hillcats ahead 11-0. Follett would then go back-to-back with a solo homerun.
 
Newman would get one run back in the sixth inning, but the Hillcats closed out the seven-inning victory.
 
Corey Murphy picked up the win, tossing five scoreless innings, scattering six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
 
In the second game, pitcher Drew Van Winkle was staked to an early one run lead when Bradshaw roped a single to score Farris very early off of Jets pitcher Derek Schumann. However, Schumann would not allow another run in the game.
 
Van Winkle, despite striking out six and walking none, picked up his first loss of the season after surrendering three runs in the bottom of the first on a chilly Kansas afternoon that seemed to cause both pitchers problems.
 
Despite putting eleven men on base against the Jets, RSU was only able to push across two runs.
 
The final RSU run was scored in the seventh when Dylan Russell scored on a double steal as Merriwether stole second.
 
The two teams face off again in the rubber match of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.