ADA, Okla.. – Rogers State baseball (15-11) notched their eighth-straight win with a 13-12 mid-week victory over East Central (1-23) on Wednesday.
The Tigers got things started as they took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. The first run came on a RBI single to right with the other run coming on a RBI single down the right field line.
The Hillcats responded with three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead at 3-2. Skyler Nelson drove in Gavin Mestas for the first run. Joel Escalante later plated both Nelson and Jesse Holguin with a two RBI single through the right side of the infield.
ECU got a run back and tied things at 3-3 in the bottom half of the third. The tying run crossed on a RBI single to right.
RSU went back up 6-3 with three more runs in the top of the fourth. Ethan Rivera scored on a RBI double to right from Victor Ceniceros. Mestas brought in Ceniceros with a RBI single up the middle. Marco Barrera crossed home on a RBI groundout to second by Holguin.
The Tigers score two in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-5. Both runs came in on a two-run homer to right.
The Hillcats answered by scoring four in the top of the sixth to push out to a 10-5 lead. Barrera blasted his own two-run shot to the right field corner and plated Ceniceros. Jonathan Soto drove in Mestas with a RBI double down the left field line. Soto later scored on a error by the second baseman.
ECU exploded for six runs in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead 11-10. The first run came in on a RBI groundout to the shortstop. A RBI bunt single scored the second run with the third scoring on a wild pitch. A RBI groundout to first, a balk and a RBI single up the middle scored the remaining three runs. The extended their lead out to 12-10 in the eight with another run on a RBI single to right center.
RSU battled back and claimed the 13-12 win with three runs in the top of the ninth. Escalante played hero as he scored the winning runs with a three RBI double down the right field line that brought in Nelson, Holguin and Soto.
Octavio Sanchez (1-0) earned his first win of the season working the final 2.1 innings. Koby Midgley (0-4) took the loss.
The Hillcats will be back in action on Friday, March 25 as they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. for a three-game conference series against No. 6 Central Missouri. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
