WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The Rogers State Baseball team fell in the series finale at No. 4 Central Missouri on Sunday, losing 14-4 at Jim Crane Stadium.
 
How It Happened: The Hillcats got off to a flying start as Nick Follett gave a 2-2 pitch a ride in the first inning, smashing a 3-run home run to put Rogers State in front.
 
However, the hosts answered back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring a pair of runs on a bases loaded single and another run on a sac bunt ground out.
 
Rogers State would go back in front in the second inning as Christian Merriwether doubled to left field, scoring Dylan Russell from second for a 4-3 lead.
 
Rogers State would hold the lead into the third inning, but the Mules hit a home run in the third inning to tie the game and then added two more runs in the inning to go ahead 6-4.
 
The Hillcat offense would be held scoreless the rest of the way, while Central Missouri would score in each of the remaining innings, including two more home runs. The Mules scored once in the fourth, fifth and sixth and then had three in the seventh and two in the eighth.
 
Key Statistic: After recording four runs on four hits in the first two innings, Rogers State was held hitless the remainder of the way.
 
Players of Note: Follett had the big hit of the day for Rogers State, hitting his third home run of the season in the first inning to bring around three runs.
 
Merriwether reached base twice; first on a hit by pitch to lead off the game and then a RBI double in the second.
 
Mason Harvey and Russell each had a hit and a run scored for the Hillcats.
 
Corey Murphy picked up the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits in three innings of work.
 
Up Next: The Hillcats will be off until Friday when they travel to the Kansas City area to take on Missouri Western in the first of three games in the MIAA series.