MUSKOGEE, Okla. - One bad inning kept the Rogers State softball team from completing a perfect opening day Tuesday at Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla.
 

The Hillcats looked impressive in 13 of 14 innings on the day, but surrendered a five-run inning in the second game and settled for a split against the Lady Warriors. RSU cruised to a 3-0 victory in the opener behind a strong pitching performance by junior Tye Coats. Bacone's Paige Forehand belted a grand slam in the nightcap to help the Warriors salvage a split with a 7-5 win.

GAME ONE
 

The Hillcats displayed midseason form in the first game of the spring as they blanked Bacone, 3-0. 

RSU gave Coats, a transfer from Texas Tech, all the run support she would need in the top of the first inning. Taryn Hernandez and Sarah Harvey ripped back-to-back singles to right field and Linsey Curtis followed win an RBI double down the right field line. Harvey added an RBI single in the fifth to pad the lead.

Coats mowed through the Bacone lineup, allowing just three hits in a complete-game victory. She tallied five strikeouts and yielded one walk. Chrissy Hood was tagged with the loss for Bacone.

GAME TWO
 

Bacone jumped out to a big lead early and withstood a late comeback by the Cats to post a 7-5 victory in the nightcap.
 

Two errors on the RSU infield led to a pair of unearned runs for the Warriors in the bottom of the second inning. Three singles and a walk setup Forehand's heroics in the third. The Bacone catcher blasted a grand slam over the centerfield wall to put the Hillcats in a six-run hole.
 

Curtis cranked a solo homer in the top of the third and Hernandez followed with a solo shot in the fifth. Curtis put a scare into the Lady Warriors with her second bomb of the afternoon in the top of the seventh. The Collinsville, Okla., freshman swatted a three-run homer to right-center to make it a two-run game at 7-5. Marie Gaudet followed with a single to bring the tying run to the plate, but the rally was squashed as Katrina Loy grounded into a game-ending double play.
 

Coats (1-1) took the loss after surrendering seven runs, five earned, over three innings of work. Hernandez tossed three innings of scoreless relief while Hollie Johnson earned a complete game victory for Bacone.
 

Rogers State (1-1) will hit the road this weekend to participate in the Cowtown Classic in Ft. Worth, Texas Friday and Saturday.