BETHANY, Okla. – No. 1 Rogers State softball (10-1) split the final day of the Raising Cane's Softball Festival with a win over Arkansas Tech (9-6) and their first loss of the season to host Southern Nazarene (7-5) on Sunday.
GAME 1 – RSU 10, ATU 5
The Golden Suns wasted no time as they led the game off with a solo homer to center field to start the game with a 1-0 lead.
RSU responded in the home half of the first with two runs of their own to take the lead 2-1.
Nicole Price got on with a single to third base with one out.
Abbey Rogers brought her in with a double to right center.
Bridgett Morales returned the favor as she scored Rogers with a single to left.
The Hillcats added two runs in the bottom of the third to go up 4-1.
Chelsea Spain led off the frame with a leadoff blast over the left field wall. Price then singled to left and later stole second. Morales plated her with a double to left center.
RSU tacked on three more runs in the fourth to push out to a 7-1 lead.
Marissa Smith and
Jaylan Gibson led off the inning with back-to-back homers.
Paxton Donaldson then doubled to left center. A ground out to short moved her over to third.
Ashtyn Barrett brought her in with a sacrifice fly to center and reached on a fielding error by the center fielder.
ATU got two runs back in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-3. The first run scored on a RBI groundout to short with the other run scoring on a single up the middle.
The Hillcats answered back with three more runs in the home half to go back up 10-3. Donaldson singled to left with one out. Spain moved her over to third with a single to right center. Donaldson scored and Spain moved to second on a throwing error by the catcher.
Nicole Price put runners at the corners with a single moving Spain to third and advancing herself to second on the throw.
Lana Gass loaded the bases as she reached on a throwing error by the first baseman. A Rogers sacrifice fly to center brought in Spain.
Bridgett Morales scored Price as she reached first on a fielding error by the third baseman.
The Golden Suns scored two more runs in the top of the seventh but gave RSU the 10-5 win. A two-run homer to center scored the runs.
Harley Culie (3-0) earned the win working 4.2 innings only allowing one run while scattering three hits with five strikeouts. Bailey Buffington (6-2) took the loss.
GAME 2 – SNU 6, RSU 4
In the second game of the day, it was the Hillcats who got on the board first with an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Chelsea Spain led off with a double to center field.
Nicole Price brought Spain in as she reached on a throwing error by the third baseman.
The Crimson Storm tied it up with a run of their own in the home half of the inning. The run scored on a RBI groundout to second.
SNU took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the second adding another run for a 2-1 lead. The run scored on a RBI double to right.
The Hillcats answered with a run in the top of the third to tie things 2-2. Spain singled to center and advanced to second on the throw. Nicole Prince moved her over to third with a fielder's choice.
Abbey Rogers walked to load the bases with two outs. Spain crossed home on a bases loaded walk to
Bridgett Morales.
The Crimson Storm again took the 3-2 lead with a run in the bottom half of the inning. A single up the middle scored the run from second.
RSU retook the lead 4-3 with two runs in the top of the fourth.
Jaylan Gibson walked with two outs.
Bobbi Leitha brought her in with a RBI double to left center. Spain returned the favor driving in Leitha with a RBI single to left.
SNU tied the game up 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth with a RBI single up the middle. The Crimson Storm would go on to walk the game off with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh for the 6-4 win.
Katelyn Woodard (2-0) earned the win working 3.2 shutout innings out of the bullpen scattering four hits with three strikeouts.
Harley Culie (3-1) took her first loss of the season with 2.2 innings of work out of the bullpen allowing two unearned runs with two strikeouts.
The Hillcats will return home to the Diamond Sports Complex on Wednesday, Feb. 22 as they host Northwestern Oklahoma State in a mid-week doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
