CLAREMORE, Okla. – No. 23 Rogers State baseball (15-3) took care of business in an 11-4 win over East Central (3-19) to claim the season series in a mid-week tilt on Wednesday.
 
After a rocky start which saw the Tigers get on the board with a run in the top of the first, RSU bounced back in the home half of the frame as Luis Fuentes wore the first pitch he saw and later advanced to second on a balk. Blake Nichols traded places with him, blasting a two-out double to left field to tie things at 1-1.
 
Things settled in over the next three frames as the starting pitchers combined to scatter three hits and leave seven runners stranded in that span.
 
In the fifth inning, ECU struck again to go back up 3-1 thanks to two RBI doubles.
 
The Hillcat bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to jump back in front to stay at 5-3. Andres Contreras led off with a double to left center. Nichols drove him in with a single through the left side of the infield. Jackson Romero put runners in scoring position with a double to left field. Andres Mitat got in on the extra base hit fun as he laced a ball down the left field line for a double, scoring Nichols and Romero. Ramon Torres capped off the frame with a single through the left side of the infield, plating Mitat.
 
RSU tacked on three more insurance runs in the sixth to extend the advantage to 8-3. After back-to-back singles from Fuentes and Contreras, Ramirez unloaded on a full count pitch and sent it screaming over the left center field wall for a three-run bomb.
 
The Tiger scratched across their final run in the seventh with a solo shot to right center to cut the deficit to 8-4.
 
The Hillcats put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth with another three-spot to claim the 11-4 win. Ramirez launched his second round-tripper of the day, this one of the solo variety, to lead off the inning. After being hit by a pitch and advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher, Romero crossed home on a Mitat groundout to short. Carson Cheatwood brought in Royce Tsumura with a single through the left side of the infield.
 
Ricardo Landeros (1-2) earned his first win of the season after thrown 0.2 innings in relief with a strikeout. Dylan Weddle, Blake Johnson and Landon Riley were also excellent out of the bullpen combined to only allow one run on one hit in the final 3.0 innings with two strikeouts. Luke Livian (0-1) took the loss.
 
RSU returns to MIAA play on Friday, March 14 as they travel to Emporia, Kan. to face off against Emporia State in a three-game series. First pitch for game one is set for 3 p.m.