CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State baseball (4-3) took an 8-5 win over McKendree (0-4) thanks to a late inning, three-run rally in the first game of the non-conference series on Friday.
 
The Hillcats jumped on the board first with an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Matthew Delgado drove in Matthew Schure with a RBI ground out to short.
 
The Bearcats responded in the top of the second with three runs to go up 3-0. All three runs came on a home run that carried just over the right center field wall.
 
RSU tied things up at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. Joel Escalante led off the inning with a 1-1 solo blast to right field, his first ever home run inside the Diamond Sports Complex. Ramon Torres later plated Jake Mitchell from second with a single to deep right field.
 
The Hillcats added to their lead in the fourth and fifth innings with a run in each frame. In the fourth, Escalante crossed home on an infield single to third from Schure. Geovanni Blackshaw brought in Delgado in the fifth inning with a monster double to the base of the right center field wall.
 
McKendree got a run back in the top of the seventh to cut the deficit to 5-4. The run came in from third on a fielding error by the shortstop. They then tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the eighth as a single to left field scored a run from second.
 
RSU answered back in a big way in the bottom of the eighth, pushing across three runs and claiming the 8-5 run. Carson Cheatwood got things started as he drove in Richie Ponce with a single to right center. With the bases loaded, Torres scored on a safety squeeze bunt from Schure. AJ Folds capped off the scoring with a RBI double off the top of the right field wall that saw Cheatwood come home from second.
 
Noah Anderson (1-0) earned his first win of the season working the final 3.0 innings in relief, allowing just one earned run on five hits with six shutouts. Colton Anderson also turned in a strong 6.0 inning start with three earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks. Brayden Biggs (0-1) suffered the loss.
 
The Hillcats will look to clinch the series tomorrow in the second game of the three-game set. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.