EDMOND, Okla. - After retaking the lead late, Rogers State softball (38-13) hung on to stay in the winner's bracket of the NCAA Central Regional with the 2-1 win over Pittsburg State (38-15) on Thursday. 

"I'm extremely proud of my team," said head coach Andrea Vaughan. "It's going to take playing really great softball late in these playoffs to be successful, and everyone's good and fighting for their lives. There's already been and there will be more great softball from here on out, and there will be a lot of close games. We're going to have to be playing our best ball, and I felt like we put our best foot forward today."

After a scoreless first inning, Savannah Evans put the Hillcats on the board as she unloaded on a 1-0 pitch, sending a towering shot screaming over the left field fence for the early 1-0 lead.

The Gorillas answered in the top of the third as back-to-back base hits put runners in scoring position with two outs. An RBI single to the shortstop tied things up at 1-1.

In the home half of the fifth, RSU began to build something as Abbey Rogers led off with a single to right and then moved to second on a McKayla Carney groundout to third. After Bridgett Morales drew a 3-1 walk, Kaylee came to the plate and laced a ball up the middle, driving in Rogers to put the Hillcats back in front 2-1.

Jade Sanders (15-7) earned the complete game win after allowing one run on seven hits with five strikeouts. Aydenne Brown (15-7) took the loss.

The No. 4-seeded Hillcats will now take on in-state rival No. 1-seed Central Oklahoma tomorrow for a spot in the regional final on Saturday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Gerry Pinkston Stadium.