KEARNEY, Neb. –No. 8 Rogers State softball (41-10, 18-8 MIAA) closed out the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Nebraska-Kearney (16-34-7-19 MIAA) on Sunday.
 
GAME 1 – RSU 14, UNK 6
 
The Hillcats exploded out of the gate with nine runs in the first inning. Bridgett Morales got things started as she drove in Paxton Donaldson with a double to right. Abbey Rogers followed suit by scoring Morales with a single to right. Makayla Jackson brought in Rogers and Ashtyn Barrett with a single to center. Lana Gass scored on a throwing error by the third baseman. A Donaldson single to left scored Jackson. Morales drove in Donaldson and Chelsea Spain with a single to left center. Rogers capped off the scoring with a RBI single to left center that scored Nicole Price.
 
RSU added three more runs in the second to go up 12-0. Donaldson plated Bobbi Leitha with a double to left center. Price then scored Jaylan Gibson with a single to center. Donaldson then stole home.
 
They tacked on three final runs in the third to go up 14-0. Jackie Zaferes scored on an error by the right fielder. Gass later scored on a fielder's choice.
 
The Lopers got on the board in the home half of the third as a triple to right center brought in a run and trimmed the lead to 14-1.
 
UNK pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the deficit and seal the final score at 14-6. A throwing error by the third baseman scored the first run. An error by the second baseman and a two RBI single to right center scored the next three. A RBI ground out to short capped off the scoring.
 
Sara Llamas-Howell (21-2) earned the win as she worked 3.1 innings, only allowing one earned run on five hits with two strikeouts. Kaci Phelps also had a strong showing out the bullpen throwing the final 1.2 shutout innings scattering two hits with two strikeouts. Madison Rosenthal (1-8) took the loss.
 
GAME 2 – RSU 4, UNK 0
 
The second game of the day was the exact opposite of the first as it was a pitcher's duel from the jump. In the first three innings the starting pitchers refused to allow a run and scattered a combined four hits with only three runners left on base.
 
The Hillcats broke the stalemate in the fourth inning as Nicole Gonzalez stole home with two outs to give RSU a 1-0 lead.
 
They added another run in the fifth to go up 2-0 thanks to a RBI single to right from Jaylan Gibson that brought in Lana Gass.
 
The Hillcats pushed across two final runs in the top of the seventh to close out the 4-0 win. Gibson drove in Marissa Smith with a double to right. Paxton Donaldson then returned the favor as she plated Gibson with a single to center.
 
Jade Sanders (15-5) earned the complete game shutout scattering eight hits with eight strikeouts and only issuing two walks. Sydney Thomason (7-8) took the loss.
 
The Hillcats will prepare for the MIAA Tournament where they earned the No. 3-seed and will take on No. 6-seed Missouri Western in the first round on Wednesday, May 3 at the Envista Softball Complex in Topeka, Kan. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased by CLICKING HERE.