CLAREMORE, Okla. — Head coach
Chris Klimas tied Hall of Famer
Ron Bradley's win total of 281 as Rogers State baseball (7-2) secured a 9-7 victory over East Central (4-5) on Tuesday at RCB Bank Sports Complex.
The Hillcats took control early with a commanding five-run first inning.
Kade Goeke led off with a single, and
Andrew Ramirez and
Trevor Spainhoward both walked to load the bases.
Andres Contreras singled up the middle for two RBIs, and a throwing error allowed Spainhoward to score.
Gavin Gamino followed with an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly by
Nathan Gutierrez brought in another run. After one inning, the score was 5-0 in favor of Rogers State.
In the second inning,
Luis Fuentes was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single by Ramirez. Spainhoward doubled to drive in Ramirez, and a sacrifice fly by
Jake Mitchell added another run, giving RSU an 8-0 lead after two innings.
East Central responded in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on six hits to cut the deficit to 8-5. The Tigers narrowed the gap further in the sixth inning with a two-run triple, making it 8-7.
Rogers State added an insurance run in the seventh. Fuentes singled and later scored on a single by Contreras, extending the lead to 9-7.
The Hillcats kept the Tigers scoreless in the final two innings, sealing the victory.
Damon Anderson-Wolf started for RSU, pitching 4.2 innings with three strikeouts.
Dylan Weddle (1-1) earned the win after battling for 2.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Michael Klein secured his first save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning, striking out one and inducing a game-ending double play.
Contreras led the team with three hits and three RBIs. Ramirez added two hits, two runs and one RBI. Gutierrez effectively stole two bases, delivered two hits and added one RBI. Fuentes also showcased his speed with two stolen bases and scored twice.
The Hillcats return to RCB Bank Sports Complex on Friday for their MIAA opener against Missouri Southern at 2 p.m. RSU and MSSU will play a three-game series Friday-Sunday.
