CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State baseball (28-19, 18-17 MIAA) clinched the series in walk-off fashion against No. 19 Fort Hays State (32-14, 26-9 MIAA) with the 5-4 win on Friday.

"I told our guys after the game that's the gutsiest win we've had this year," said head coach Chris Klimas. "A lot of teams would have rolled over and felt bad for themselves after the way the top of the ninth went, but our guys were chomping at the bit and believed going into the bottom half. To do what we did against one of the best relievers in the league in that situation is big. Nichols was the hero with the base hit. He got a first pitch fastball, and went three for three on first pitch fastballs that he got today."

After two scoreless frames to start, the Tigers broke the ice in the third with an RBI single through the left side of the infield for the early 1-0 lead. 

The Hillcats answered in the home half as Luis Fuentes drew a leadoff, full-count walk. Carson Cheatwood then doubled to right center to put runners in scoring position. Fuentes later scored on an Andrew Ramirez groundout to short.

They added an insurance run in the fourth to go up 2-1. Blake Nichols got on with a leadoff single up the middle, and later moved all the way to third off a throwing error by the pitcher on a failed pickoff attempt. Andres Contreras drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center.  

RSU tacked on another run in the fifth to extend the advantage to 3-1. Carson Cheatwood led off with a single to left center and proceeded to steal second. Tyler Nelson beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Ramirez brought in Cheatwood with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Hillcats pushed out to 4-1 in the sixth as Fuentes got things started with a two-out single to left center. He later crossed home on a Nelson single to right. 

In the top of the ninth, FHSU began to put together a comeback as a single through the right side of the infield and a double to left center put runners in scoring position with one out. A three-run blast over the right field wall tied the game at 4-4.

In the bottom half of the frame, Nelson reached to lead things off after getting hit by a pitch, and then stole second. With two out, Nichols connected with the first pitch he saw and sent it into right field to walk the game off, as Nelson crossed home.

The Hillcats will cap off the series in the regular season finale tomorrow on Senior Day. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.