TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Rogers State completed a two-game sweep of Northeastern State in the MIAA Tournament Quarterfinal Series on Saturday with a win in game two of the series at Rousey Field to advance to the MIAA Tournament Championship Round.
 
Rogers State 8, Northeastern State 6
Records:  Rogers State (20-20)  |  Northeastern State (26-16)
W: CJ Edwards (3-4)  |  L: Dakodah Jones (4-4)

How It Happened

• Fort he second-straight game, Northeastern Sate started the scoring of with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
• However, the Hillcats responded right away, as Rogers State plated five runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead.
• Jonathan Soto started the scoring with a two-RBI double to left, scoring Kyle Simms and Skyler Nelson to give the Hillcats the lead.
• Christian Merriwether then doubled home Soto and scored on a Victor Ceniceros on a bunt single.
• Prescott Horn capped the scoring in the inning with an infield single to score Ceniceros from third.
• Northeastern State responded with a run on a single in the second and then a two-run home run in the third to cut the Hillcat lead to 5-4.
• In the fourth inning, Skyler Nelson extend the Hillcat lead back to two runs with a RBI single to centerfield, scoring Mason Harvey to make it 6-4.
• After four scoreless innings for the hosts, the RiverHawks would answer in the bottom of the eighth with two runs on a pair of fielder's choice grounders to tie the game at 6. The second run cam on a controversial play, as Soto tagged out the runner with plenty of time to spare, but the runner was awarded home because Soto was ruled to have blocked the plate.
• It proved not to matter as the Hillcats would re-take the lead in the top of the ninth on a two-run triple by Nelson to put Rogers State back in front 8-6.

Game Notes

• For the second-straight game, Nelson finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk and three RBIs. Nelson finished with a single and a triple and scored a run.
• Harvey and Merriwether led the Hillcats with three hits each. Harvey was 3-for-5 with a run, while Merriwether was 3-or-4 with a run and an RBI.
• Soto had the only other multi-RBI performance for the Hillcats, driving in two runs on a 2-for-4 day at the plate. Soto had a double and also scored a run.
• Corey Murphy went six innings in the start, allowing four runs on nine hits. He had one strikeout.
• CJ Edwards tossed the final 1.2 innings for the win, allowing just one hit.
• The Hillcats pick up back-to-back come-from-behind victories and remain undefeated in MIAA postseason play.
• Rogers State swept Northeastern State in the postseason series after NSU swept the Hillcats during the regular season.

Up Next
Rogers State will now advance to the Championship Rounds of the MIAA Tournament. The Hillcats will play in Joplin, Missouri in a double elimination bracket hosted by Missouri Southern. Rogers State is slated to play the winner of the Missouri Southern and Central Oklahoma series in the opener, which will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 20.