HAYS, Kan. – Rogers State baseball (15-6, 4-5 MIAA) claimed their first MIAA series of the season with a 8-7 win over Fort Hays State (9-14, 2-7 MIAA) in the series finale on Sunday.
 
The game began as an old-fashioned pitcher's duel with neither starter allowing a run in the first two innings and scattering one hit between them.
 
The Hillcats broke the stalemate in the third inning as they took an early 3-0 lead. Jake Mitchell led off the inning with a 3-1 walk. Ramon Torres was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Gavin Mestas moved them into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Marco Barrera brought in Mitchell with a sacrifice fly to left. Prescott Horn scored Torres with a single through the left side of the infield and later advanced to second on a passed ball. Jesse Holguin doubled down the right field line to plate Horn.
 
The Tigers got two runs back in the home half of the second to cut the deficit to 3-2. A sacrifice fly to left scored the first run with a single through the left side of the infield bringing in the other run.
 
RSU pushed their lead back out to 5-2 with two more runs in the fourth inning. Joel Escalante led off the frame with a 3-1 walk. Carson Cheatwood singled down the left field line to put runners at first and second. Mitchell singled to center to loaded the bases. Escalante scored on a 6-4-3 double play. Mestas plated Cheatwood with a single to third.
 
Once again, FHSU answered with their own two runs to keep the margin locked at one run at 5-4. Both runs came in on a two RBI single up the middle.
 
The Hillcats tacked on three runs in the top of seventh to push out to 8-4 lead. Jhonmy Martinez earned a 3-1 walk to start the frame. Cheatwood earned a four-pitch walk. On a 1-1 pitch with two outs, Torres launched a three-run blast over the left field wall, his first round-tripper of the season.
 
The Tigers pushed across two runs on a two RBI single to center to cut the lead back down to 8-6 in the seventh. They added one final run in the eight to set the score at 8-7, with the run scoring on a wild pitch.
 
Rece Parker (3-0) earned the win working 5.0 innings with four earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Octavio Sanchez (6) earned his MIAA-leading and second in the NCAA, sixth save of the season working the final 1.1 innings without allowing a run and scattering one hit with three strikeouts.
 
The Hillcats will conclude their five-game road trip on Tuesday, March 14 in Joplin, Mo. with the first game of the MIAA mid-week series against Missouri Southern. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.