CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Rogers State University baseball team earned its first doubleheader sweep of the season with two wins against Oklahoma Wesleyan at Hillcat Field on Friday.
The Hillcats scored four runs in the first inning of Game 1 and cruised to a 6-2 victory. RSU scored runs in five consecutive innings in Game 2 and held off a late Eagles rally to claim the series sweep, 7-4.
Sophomore Tyler Whitaker turned in a strong performance in the first game of the afternoon. Whitaker allowed just one run in six innings of work. He struck out a team-high eight batters and did not allow a walk. The Hillcats chased OWU starter T.J. Thomas from the game in the bottom of the first inning after he allowed four of the first five Hillcat batters to reach base. Senior Eric Bunch and sophomore Blake Hollinsworth led the RSU offensive attack with two hits a piece.
RSU senior pitcher Brent Hill overcame a rocky start to earn his first win as a Hillcat in the second game of the day. Eagles first baseman Jermaine Watkins touched Hill for a three-run triple in the second inning to give OWU an early lead. The Hillcats responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the second and added single runs in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. After the second, Hill settled in and finished the first complete game of the season for the RSU pitching staff. He allowed four runs on six hits while striking out six. Junior John Vaughn laced three hits in his first start at catcher for the Hillcats. Bunch contributed two hits of his own, giving him a total of four hits on the day.
The Eagles (0-4) mounted a late rally with three hits in the top of the seventh. With two runners on, Tarrell Ramsey represented the tying run, but Hill forced him into a game-ending groundout to give the Hillcats (3-2) the series sweep.
RSU will be back in action on Saturday as they face William Jewell at 10:30 a.m., and Sterling College at 3:30 p.m., at Hillcat Field. The Hillcats will also play Dakota Wesleyan in a single game on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
