CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State baseball (20-16, 11-13 MIAA) pulled the 8-4 upset over No. 9 Missouri Southern (30-10, 17-7 MIAA) in the MIAA mid-week series finale on Tuesday.
 
The win snaps a seven-game skid against the Lions, the longest such streak by either team in the all-time series.
 
The Hillcats jumped on the board first with a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Matthew Schure kept his hot streak going as he doubled to right center to lead off the frame. He would later score from third on a 6-4-3 double play.
 
RSU tacked on another run in the second to go up 2-0. Gabe Russell led off the inning with a single to center field. Schure brought him in with another double, this time down the right field line.
 
Southern responded in the top of the fifth with three runs to take a 3-2 lead. A three-run homer to right field scored the runs.
 
The Hillcats answered back with their own big inning in the bottom half as they broke the game open with four runs to push back out to a 6-3 advantage. After Jake Mitchell worked a 3-1 walk with one out, Joel Escalante drove him in with a RBI single. Ryan Tiger then plated Matthew Delgado with a sacrifice bunt. Facing a 2-1 count, Russell unloaded on a pitch as he sent it flying over the right field wall, scoring Escalante.
 
They added two more runs in the sixth to take an 8-3 lead. Delgado got in on the home run fun as he belted a two-run round tripper of his own to right that brought in Mitchell.
 
The Lions attempted to mount a comeback in the eighth but could only push across one more run to seal the 8-4 win for the Hillcats. A RBI single to right center scored the run.
 
Blake Johnson (3-3) earned the win after working an inning in relief, scattering two hits with a strikeout. Octavio Sanchez (7) earned the save coming to close out the final three innings, only giving up one run on three hits with two strikeouts. Kyle Moore (2-2) took the loss.
 
The Hillcats will be back in action as they travel to Edmond, Okla. on Friday, April 12 to begin a series against No. 19 Central Oklahoma. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.