CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State baseball (3-1) split the series finale doubleheader against Upper Iowa (1-2), but claimed the series win on Saturday.
 
GAME 1 – RSU 16, UIU 8
 
In a game that wasn't short on offense, the Peacocks got on the board first with an early 2-0 lead thanks to a one-out, two RBI single to left.
 
The Hillcats responded with a run in the bottom half of the frame. Tyler Nelson and Luis Fuentes were both hit by pitches to start the inning. After Jackson Romero earned a 3-1 walk to load the bases, Jake Mitchell drove in Nelson with a single to left.
 
Upper Iowa got the run back in the top of the second to go back up 3-1 with the run scoring from third on a groundout to the shortstop. A Weston Peninger solo shot pulled RSU back within one run at 3-2 in the home half of the inning.
 
The Hillcats broke the game open in the third as they exploded for six runs to take their first lead at 8-3. Peninger plated Geovanni Blackshaw and Andres Contreras with a double down the left field line. Nelson returned the favor with a single to left, scoring Peninger. A Fuentes double to center allowed Carson Cheatwood to cross home. Romero brought in Nelson as he grounded out to third. Andrew Ramirez capped off the big inning with a double to right center that scored Fuentes.
 
The Peacocks were able to get a run back in top of the fourth to cut the deficit to 8-4 with an RBI single to third.
 
RSU answered back with two more runs to push out to a 10-4 advantage in the bottom half. Blackshaw led off the frame with a double to left center and later moved to third on a wild pitch. Cheatwood brought him home with a single to center. Fuentes later plated Cheatwood with a single to left.
 
The Hillcats tacked on three more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 13-4. Mitchell scored on an error by the left fielder. Cheatwood drove in Peninger with a double and later scored, himself, on a wild pitch.
 
A sacrifice fly to left in the top of the sixth gave UIU another run and cut the lead to 13-5, but RSU effectively neutralized it with Romero stealing home on a double steal attempt in the bottom half.
 
The Peacocks got an RBI double down the right field line in the top of seventh with RSU's Peninger responding with his second solo blast of the day in the home half of the frame to keep things in check 15-6.
 
UIU pushed across their final two runs in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 15-8 with an RBI groundout to short and a RBI single to left.
 
The Hillcats added one final run as well in the bottom half to secure the 16-8 victory a Romero scored on a Ramirez groundout to short.
 
Christopher Spry (1-0) picked up his first win of the season going 6.0 innings and allowing five runs on five hits with five strikeouts. The trio of Christopher Gaudio, Dean Grisham and Ricardo Landeros were also excellent in relief, only allowing a combined three runs on two hits with two strikeouts over the final 3.0 innings. Isaiah Maes (0-1) took the loss.
 
GAME 2 – UIU 7, RSU 6 (10 Innings)
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Hillcats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second. Jake Mitchell and Blake Nichols got things started with back-to-back to singles. Carson Cheatwood plated Mitchell with a double to left. Tyler Nelson then drove in Nichols with an RBI groundout to the shortstop.
 
The Peacocks quickly responded in the third with a two-run homer to knot things at 2-2. They would go on to take the lead 5-3 with three runs in the fifth, thanks to an RBI double down the left field line and another two-run shot to right center.
 
However, RSU answered back with their own three-run run frame in the home half to level things back out at 5-5. An Andrew Ramirez single to left allowed Nelson to score from second. Luis Fuentes later scored on a Jackson Romero single. Ramirez capped off the inning as he crossed home on a groundout to third from Mitchell.
 
UIU jumped back in front 6-5 in the seventh as a run scored from second on an error by the pitcher.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Nichols reached second on a two-base error by the first baseman with two outs with Royce Tsumura coming in to pinch run for him. After Weston Peninger earned a four-pitch walk, Blackshaw forced extra innings as he reached on an error by the shortstop with Tsumura scoring from second.
 
The Peacocks quickly spoiled any momentum the Hillcats had as they launched a leadoff bomb to left to take a 7-6 lead in the top of the 10th. Unfortunately, RSU did not have an answer in the bottom half as they went down in order.
 
Tyler Glowacki (1-0) earned the win. Landon Riley (0-1) took the loss after throwing 3.1 innings out of the bullpen and only giving up one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Noah Anderson was solid in relief, working the middle 1.2 innings with one unearned run on two hits. Cole Abbot gave up five runs on six hits with four strikeouts in his 5.0 inning start.
 
The Hillcats are back in action on Friday, Feb. 14 as they open a three-game series against Lewis inside the friendly confines of the RCB Bank Sports Complex. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.