CLAREMORE, Okla.- The No. 19 Rogers State baseball team registered 14 hits en route to an 11-5 victory over Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday afternoon at Legion Field in Claremore.
The Diamond Cats smashed three home runs and two doubles in the victory.
The Eagles grabbed a 3-0 lead to start the game. OC pushed one run across the plate in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly by Heath Steele. A two RBI single by Dillon Andrews gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead after the top of the second.
The Hillcats earned a run back in the bottom of the second with a solo blast over the right field fence by Cody Campbell. RSU took the lead in the third frame with six runs on four hits with the help of one OC error. Emmanuel De La Cruz led off the frame with home run over the right field fence. Eric Baker followed with a single and scored with a two-run homer by Colton Campbell. With bases loaded, Keith Poverud hit a fly ball to deep right field that was misplayed by Daniel Thompson, allowing all three runs to score and giving RSU a 7-3 lead.
OC answered with one run in the top of the fourth but the Hillcats erased the run by plating two in the bottom of the inning with help from an error by the Eagles.
RSU added two runs in the sixth with an error by OC and Poverud drew a bases loaded walk to send Colton Campbell home.
Andrews added an RBI in the top of the eighth and OC held the Cats scoreless in the bottom of the inning but that was as close as the Eagles would get to the lead. RSU junior Brandon Bargas returned to the mound after suffering an injury during the Hillcats first meeting with OC on Feb. 15. The southpaw from Owasso, Okla. faced the minimum and fanned one to close out the ninth.
RSU staffed the game on the mound with seven pitchers seeing action in the game. Starter Jacob Wenaas tossed three innings, allowing four runs, two earned on five hits with three strikeouts. Zack Williams register the win, pitching the fourth inning, allowing one unearned run while fanning one.
Ryan Nash was tagged with the loss for the Eagles, lasting 2.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.
Colton Campbell led the Cats, tallying three hits, three runs and two RBIs.
Rogers State (18-1, 5-0) returns to action on Friday as the Hillcats host Lubbock Christian in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. The games will be streamed live at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.
