CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State baseball (12-3, 4-0 MIAA) used a late offensive explosion to take an 11-1 win in eight innings in the first game of a three-game set against Fort Hays State (11-5, 1-3 MIAA) on Friday.
 
The Hillcats jumped on the board early with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Matthew Delgado drove in AJ Folds with a single through the right side of the infield. With the bases loaded later in the frame, Jake Mitchell earned a seven-pitch walk that allowed Geovanni Blackshaw to cross home.
 
RSU added another run in the third inning to go up 3-1. Ryan Tigers plated Blackshaw from third with a sacrifice bunt to first.
 
The Tigers cut the deficit to 3-1 in the top of the sixth with their first run of the game. A single to left scored the run.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Hillcats managed to push across four runs to break the game open at 7-1. Blackshaw got the scoring started as he brought in Royce Tsumura with a sacrifice fly to left. During the next at bat, Carson Cheatwood scored from third on a throwing error by the shortstop on an attempted double steal. Joel Escalante drove in Folds with a single down the right field line. Tiger capped of the inning as he plated Escalante with a single down the left field line.
 
RSU claimed the 11-1 win in the eighth innings as they scored four final runs. Ramon Torres came in on a Folds single that shot through the right side of the infield. Blackshaw drove in Tsumura and Matthew Schure with a single to left center. Escalante walked the game off on an 0-2 pitch with a single down the left field line, scoring Folds.
 
Colton Anderson (2-1) earned the win with an outstanding 6.0 inning start, only allowing one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts. Landon Riley (3) earned the two-inning save scattering one hit with a strikeout.
 
The Hillcats will look to claim the series in game two tomorrow. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.